Unsaid Things
by hollister9
Summary: Four years ago Hermione ran away. She disconnected herself completely from her friends, family and everyone she used to know. Why did she leave so unexpectedly? The answer was so simple, but the reality of it wasn't... she was carrying Sirius Black's baby.
1. Things Have Changed

**_UNSAID THINGS_**

**by**

**_Hollister9_**

* * *

><p>The blustering wind whipped against Oliver Wood's face like a piercing knife as he struggled to his front door and fumbled for his keys. He had just got back from Quidditch practise with Puddlemere United, where he was Goalkeeper as well as Captain; a title he had worked very hard for and was immensely proud of. He opened the door and beamed at the sight he was welcomed to. His breathtakingly beautiful witch was curled up on the sofa, her wavy curls wildly hanging down her back and a rather thick leather book tucked under her arm which she was completely absorbed in.<p>

"Darling, I'm home!" he sang, kicking the door shut gracefully with his foot and throwing his bag on the floor.

She looked up him and smiled, "how was practise?"

He grinned wickedly and immediately started giving her an in-depth and overly enthusiastic analysis of the team's session, speaking for five minutes _just_ about the game play.

Oliver's obsession with Quidditch was unhealthy.

Hermione's mind wandered off from Oliver's rambling to Harry in their third year, remembering when he used to bolt for the boys dormitories whenever the Quidditch captain entered the common room. It was rather scary how his eyes maniacally searched for Harry in order to give him another earful of tips for the next match.

"Okay Oliver!" she sighed playfully, holding up a hand to stop him. "I think I've heard enough."

His voice faded to silence and his face cracked into a smile. "How's little Al?"

Hermione closed her book and smiled sleepily.

"The little terror's sleeping," she yawned, accepting Oliver's hand to pull her up.

"I'd better check on him actually, the cheeky bugger has probably worked out a way to escape from his cot by now..."

She tip-toed into the dark bedroom, trying to make as little sound as possible, and peered into the cot.

She felt her heart warm as her chocolate eyes locked with his grey innocent ones. Her three year old son sat wide awake, his black curly hair messy and unkempt around his adorable face and his mischievous smile sliding across his lips as he saw his mummy. He immediately lost interest with the miniature broomstick he had clutched in his small fist and dropped it as he raised his arms to be lifted up.

She laughed softly, and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Albert sweetheart you're meant to be sleeping!"

"Not sleepy mummy," he said sadly, and pulled his best puppy dog eyes look which he knew his mum - and pretty much everyone - always fell for.

Hermione struggled to keep a smile from spreading across her face.

His father had the puppy dog look worked perfectly too, he could simply turn it on when something didn't go his way because he knew that no one could resist his eyes that leaked innocence, or his lips that pouted and trembled so cutely your body squirmed.

"Do you want me to read you a story darling? I'll read your favourite," she said, stroking Albert's head lovingly.

His eyes lit up and he began to clap his tiny hands together excitedly positively yelling, '_the three little pigs!_'

"Can you do the roar mummy? The wolf's roar," he pleaded, on the verge of pulling the puppy dog eyes again.

She laughed and nodded.

The little boy's nose crinkled in thought for a second and he looked up inquiringly.

"Could my daddy roar?" he asked.

Hermione blinked in surprise.

They had only talked about his father once or twice before. It wasn't something she liked discussing, but she knew that one day Albert would start asking questions about him... what he was like and the kind of man he was. So she wasn't totally unprepared for when the exact question came a few days later, after she'd finished reading his usual bed-time story.

"What's my daddy like mummy?"

Hermione pondered the thought for a minute... what _was_ he like?

_The front door snapped shut and seconds later were followed by hurried stomping footsteps up the stairs. _Hermione was lying on the bed they shared, her soft brown curls falling across her face in her deep slumber. _His eyes narrowed in concern when he saw her and rushed to her side. __She felt a shower of gentle kisses brush her face and neck, and she immediately started to awaken. _

"_Mione," he whispered in her ear, his goatee tickling her skin and causing her to shiver. She felt his strong arms weave around her waist and pull her closer to him. __"Mione, how are you feeling baby?"_

_She didn't say anything for a while. __Her mind was currently too busy smelling his familiar gorgeous masculine scent. __His breath drew hotter on her neck as he leant in and nibbled her ear playfully, her teeth making her eyes shut and thighs rub together. She had to marvel at times like this when she felt like utter shit, how one kiss from him could spiral her into __intoxication and light-headed dizziness. _

_"Hmm?" she hummed inquistively, and allowed one eye to peek open._

_He grinned wolfishly and cuddled her tighter. "Finally you're back from the bloody dead! God I've missed you darling. My sweet, sweet darling..." he left playful kisses on her cheeks, forehead, nose, ear and neck and she giggled at his intrusions. _

_"Get off me you mangy mutt," she muttered, a sly smirk creeping across her lips as he feigned a innocent heartbroken puppy. He actually went to get up, and she grinned and pulled on his arm. "Nooo I'm joking, come and hold me." _

_His eyes softened and he crawled back to her, his body lying to her side, partly atop of hers. "You need to stop being so adorable, woman," he murmured lowly, dragging his lips across up her neck and across her jaw, before he pressed his lips to hers. His shirt was riding up, and she could see the trail of dark hair that disappeared into his pants; the deliciousness made her squirm. Nibbles and pecks turned to deep, tongued kissing, so that when he rolled onto her once more, his erection was pressing into her abdomen. _

_He pulled back to look at her, slightly breathless, eyes dark and hungry. "Do you want to?"_

_He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cupped her face, the intensity making her blush. "I'm... I'm still a bit queasy," she whispered back, stroking his stubbly jaw. "I'm sorry."_

_She felt awful, and he shook his head vigorously and nuzzled her neck. "You have nothing to be sorry for." _

_"But I got you excited," she mumbled sheepishly. _

_His rumbling laugh warmed her insides as it shook her. "You always get me excited, love." He sounded amused. "I'm like a horny schoolboy around you." _

_She pursed her lips and said nothing, and he chuckled again because he knew she was feeling embarrassed. "Alright, we'll miss out the sex and go straight to the cuddling," he flopped onto his back and lazily patted the bed sheets beside him, "come on then kitten, get in these arms."_

_She did, and he enfolded his arms around her with a sigh and a kiss to her forehead. "Love you," he whispered._

_She snuggled further into his warmth and closed her eyes, sighing at the way he gently rubbed her back. "Love you," she whispered back. _

_She knew Sirius would be an amazing dad, but how was he going to take it when she told him she was pregnant? That's if she was of course, but her suspicions had never been wrong before. Surely he would have put two and two together with their sex and her morning sickness and realised? _

_Perhaps not. This was Sirius Black, and he was oblivious to many things. _

But Sirius had never got round to finding out that Hermione was carrying his baby because she had left two days later without a word to anyone.

That was three years ago.

She hadn't seen her three best friends, Ron, Harry or Ginny, she hadn't seen any of the Weasley's or Remus or Tonks and most painfully, she hadn't seen _him_ since.

Hermione swallowed nervously and picked Albert up from his cot.

"Your daddy was a very nice man. He..." she swallowed her drying throat as she tried to pick the right words to describe him. "He was as brave as a knight. Remember I told you about the houses you get sorted into a Hogwarts sweetie? Well, like me, your daddy was a Gryffindor. The first in his family. He played Quidditch on the house team. He could make me laugh when I was sad, and gave the biggest, most snugly cuddles. He was also very clever, and he read lots of books like me too, but not as much..."

She smiled as she reminisced_. _

"He was cheeky-" '_Like you_' she wanted to say. "And he got into a lot of trouble sometimes..." this was a bit of a stretch really. According to old stories Remus had told her, it seemed as if it were _all_ the time. "But he didn't mind, that never stopped your daddy."

Her eyes stung as tears threatened to fall but she ignored them.

"You are so like him sweetheart, and one day you'll see just how much."

Hot burning tears trickled down her cheeks but she refused to wipe them away. She would not feel guilty for what she did. It was the right thing to do. There wasn't a day that slipped by when she didn't think about what happened when she last heard his voice, and her stomach felt like it'd been kicked repeatedly each time she thought of it.

_She stepped quietly through the front door of Grimmauld Place, closed it and dropped her forehead against the cold wood. It had been a long and tiring day, and now she had just found out something that had made it that bit harder. She couldn't believe it herself. __Her suspicions were true... she was pregnant. She had visited St. Mungos and they ran some tests, did a few complicated spells, and the Healer confirmed it. Inside her were teeny cells that would grow and grow into a baby, that would be on planet Earth with her in less than nine months. _

_She started to make her way to the stairs, not bothering to remove her coat or scarf. She was so bloody moody that she wanted nothing more than to hibernate under her bed covers and not speak to anyone for weeks. How the hell was he going to react when she told him? She buried her face in her hands at the thought and almost with a soldier like determination, continued to troop up the stairs. _

_She heard his infamous bark of laughter from the kitchen and her foot froze in mid-step. He was speaking to someone. She cocked her eye towards the door to allow her to listen better, and another voice - of whom she recognised to be Charlie Weasley - started speaking. _

"_You lucky barstard! The things I'd do to Hermione Granger if she was wrapped around my finger like she is with you..." He wolf whistled to prove his point. "I mean for the love of merlin, who knew a book-worm could be so sexy?" _

_Sirius laughed again. "Yeah I know, but let's be honest here Charlie. I'm THE Sirius Black, the one and only. Every witch I woo falls for me eventually. She is my bitch." _

_She could tell he was smirking. The slow dread of sick churned in her stomach, and it__ wasn't from the pregnancy. Why was he talking about her like that, after all they'd said to each other, after all they'd done? L__istening to him arrogantly bragging about his silly sex life and his selfish womanising ways was hurting her heart, and she couldn't bear to say a moment longer, yet her body wouldn't move – she was frozen. Stuck. Trapped. _

"_If you get some action tonight, film it for me yeah? Don't tell her you're doing it obviously, I doubt Hermione is that eager." _

_Sirius sighed heavily, and she could almost imagine him shaking his head, running a hand through his hair as he always did when he was annoyed. "I doubt I'm getting any tonight mate," he said gravely, as if the world had wronged him. "She's been doing my head in the last couple of days because she's been so ill and I haven't been able to get a good shag. I mean, come on! A man has needs!" _

_Charlie grunted in agreement. _

"_Well just switch on the Sirius Black charm and I'm sure she'll widen her legs," he said, "if not Madam Rosmerta asked me to tell you that she's still waiting for you to take up on that offer from a few months ago." _

_Hermione's breath hitched. All those sweet things he had said to her, all those times he had held her in his arms and told her she looked beautiful, all those bunches of roses he had given her when he came back from Diagon Alley, all those cups of cocoa and talks around the fire, and 'I love you's' had all been lies. Maybe, deep down, she knew it herself and saw the end coming, would see the real person he was, but hearing it out loud and put so bluntly hurt more than she ever could have prepared for. She felt as though the world was crumbling around her, the floor cracking beneath her as well and her heart... well._

_She didn't really have one any more. _

_She turned and ran and didn't stop. She ran from the stairs, ran from the house, ran from it all and swore to herself that she would never love Sirius Black again._

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: So that's the first chapter! Do bare in mind that this is my first fan fiction, and so my writing should only evolve and get better. And y<em>****_ep, Sirius is a git... but don't you worry. He will pay. _****_Click on my profile to see the 'Unsaid Things' trailer or type it in on YouTube. Em Watson is my Hermione, and Gary Oldman is my Sirius, as well as a sex God! Oh, and if you hadn't guessed already, you Einstein's, I'm not J.K Rowling, so I own nothing in the Harry Potter world apart from this story and plot line. :)_**


	2. Secrets Out

Chap 2: _**Secrets Out**_

* * *

><p>Harry groaned as the sunlight crept in from the window and shone onto the double bed that he and his fiancé, Ginny, had occupied. Rolling onto his side, he planted a kiss on her cheek and reluctantly heaved himself up. Leaving a kiss on her forehead he trudged down the stairs, and plonked himself at the table of the Burrow opposite Ron, his best friend, who equally looked half asleep.<p>

He smiled lopsidedly at him and ripped into his toast.

It was three days before Harry and Ginny's wedding, which like Bill and Fleur's in 1997 was taking place in the garden of the Burrow. Mrs Weasley had worked tirelessly tidying the house for the special day and it seemed that, for the first time, everything was going to plan. The food had been prepared, the outfits were ready, the garden looked wonderful with freshly cut grass and enchanting flowers. There was just one tiny, _tiny_ problem... their absent best friend Hermione wasn't coming. She had no idea the pair had even gotten engaged, let alone knew they were getting married, and to go ahead with it without her seemed crazy, because it was down to her that they passed all their O.W.L's in fifth year, and down to her that they managed to make it through the hunt for Horcruxes without either Ron or Harry killing each other. Harry was insistent that without her, they wouldn't have won the Battle of Hogwarts and defeated Voldemort.

Hermione's abrupt departure was so out of character. She was never one to run away from a problem, she'd devise a strategic means of tackling it and she was always so organised and together; who exactly would put a tent in their handbag? Only Hermione would. They had been through what most friends wouldn't have in a lifetime, and they stuck together and told each other everything – or at least they did.

Everyone searched the house frantically for her, but she had long gone. Her sheets were stone cold. Her clothes had disappeared from her wardrobe. Photographs of her had dissolved from their frames and the spot where her trunk sat was empty and already picking up dust. It was like she had already moved on to a different stage in her life and didn't need them, or maybe she wanted them to forget her. Whatever it was, Hermione Granger had removed all traces of evidence that she had ever been a part of their lives. She had detached herself from them in every way possible, and they were clueless as to why.

Ron met Harry's eyes and knew instantly what he was thinking.

"We'll find her mate," Ron said confidently, "it's the golden trio remember? She wouldn't miss your big day for the world if she knew Harry."

Harry dropped his half eaten toast onto his plate, no longer hungry.

"I'm not so sure," he said, ruffling his messy hair in frustration, "I mean, why would she do this to us? She's our best friend! We know her better than anyone - or we thought we did. Why would she keep us in the dark like this? I mean, it's Hermione. _Hermione!_ She has been gone for four years and we haven't heard a word from her! At first we thought she would come back after a few weeks, but the weeks turned to months, and the months have turned to years and- and- sometimes I feel like I'm going mad with rage and confusion because she just-"

"Left," a deep voice finished for him.

Harry and Ron turned around, startled.

It was Sirius.

He had obviously been listening to Harry's rant as his fists were clenched in his pockets and his grey eyes were unsettling. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and sank into a chair next to Harry.

Harry immediately regretted his outburst when he saw his Godfather. He had become gloomier ever since Hermione had left, as had everyone, but with Sirius it was like something had died inside him. He no longer had the same twinkle in his eye when he winked or the roaring bark of laughter that uplifted a room of people. He tried to act like he didn't care that she had gone, but Harry saw through his dismissive shrugs to know that he was deeply hurt with her disappearance.

"I'm sorry Sirius…" Harry began, but Sirius cut him off.

"For what?" he said loudly, almost laughing, "we were together for a bit, she had her fun and I had mine and she took off."

He said it like it was simple and casual, but Harry noticed the muscles twitching in his neck a she spoke and knew it wasn't.

"She cared about you," he said quietly.

Sirius suddenly slammed his hand on the table, as if he found the whole situation hilarious.

"I'm sure she did, and maybe in ten years time when she returns - if ever, she can tell me she cared and I'll say I did too, but before I met Loretta, a woman whose about ten times as beautiful as that bushy-haired bookworm and ten times as clever and sexy and funny…"

"No bloody way!" Ron shouted angrily, half-rising from his chair. "And her hair isn't _bushy_ any more!"

"Oh, how would you know?" Sirius retorted. "Seen her recently have you?"

Ron scowled at him, his ears burning pink. "Don't compare her to your girlfriend, and don't talk about her as if she's ugly and unattractive, when everyone knows she isn't!"

Sirius grinned and pointed at him, "ah, she's got you as well hasn't she Ronnie? Don't fall for Miss Granger my lad, don't fall for her," he clapped Harry on the back and got up from his seat. "I'm so glad I didn't."

Harry and Ron exchanged looks as Sirius headed to the garden rather hastily for a cigarette.

When he was out of earshot Harry and Ron nodded in silent understanding. They hadn't seen Hermione in three years, and she was their best friend no matter what, and that was all that mattered. They were the Golden Trio, always on adventures and getting in to trouble, and for years could rarely be seen without one another. They had fought as a team, and dealt with each other's problems together. Whatever Hermione's problem was, they could do the same. So they were determined to find Hermione. Search high and low for her, even if it meant not sleeping until the wedding.

They _had_ to find her. For all their sakes.

* * *

><p>It was two days later when Hermione and Oliver were cuddled on the sofa, having fallen asleep watching muggle television, that there was a knock at the door.<p>

Hermione squinted and slowly sat up, trying to decide whether her mind was playing tricks on her or not. When the knock sounded again, she bolted upright. Who the hell was knocking on their door at this time? They only ever got two or three regular visitors, and they included Oliver's mother or a few of his team mates, and none of them would be rapping impatiently on the door at one o'clock in the morning.

Oliver stirred against the cushion and continued snoring. She carefully rose from the sofa and grabbed her wand off the coffee table and tip-toed towards the door, drawing back in a moment of hesitation before clasping her hand around the handle. What if this was someone she knew? She shook the silly thought away and unlocked the door.

She was met with a face she knew well, so well, but hadn't seen in a long time; a man with enchanting green eyes, untidy black hair and rounded glasses. They stared at each other and stood open-mouthed for what felt like hours, until he broke into an infectious grin and collided with her in a bone-crunching hug. It was, of course, her best friend and unbiological brother Harry.

They both sobbed like babies into each other's necks as they held each other like a brother and sister reunion. He kept whispering her name over and over like he was trying to convince himself that he was really there with her after so long being apart.

Harry somehow manage to persuade her to come with him to his favourite café in Diagon Alley to talk things over. Hermione agreed, and wrote a rushed note to Oliver explaining where she'd gone should he wake up, which was unlikely.

"I'm not sure about this Harry," Hermione said, biting her lip as they walked arm in arm along Diagon Alley, a place Hermione hadn't set foot in since she left. The risk of seeing one of her old friends was too high, and it still rung true for now.

"Oh c'mon 'Mione!" he urged, practically pulling her to follow when they approached the café which was open until two. They had an hour to go through everything.

The Leaky Cauldron was a few shops along, and she could hear the drunken singing and yelling of men as they staggered rowdily from the pub. She prayed that nobody noticed her. The thought trickled out of her mind as Harry invited her into the warmth of the empty café and they settled themselves in two chairs against the window.

They ordered two tea's from the waitress before Harry smiled and rested his hand on hers.

"So why did you leave?"

Hermione sighed heavily. She knew the time would come where she would have to start telling people what had happened and she guessed this was it. She would get through this. She was a Gryffindor after all.

She cleared her throat and began, speaking of her illness a few days before her departure where she was being violently sick up to midday and - overwhelmed with tiredness - found herself sleeping into the late afternoon. She explained all the other symptoms she was experiencing, such as her headaches and mood swings, and the tenderness of breasts (which Harry found hilarious), and lastly of her suspicions that she was pregnant.

Harry gasped at that. "P-pregnant?" he said weakly as he numbly accepted their drinks, "you – what about – is that why…"

Hermione shook her head, "let me finish."

He obeyed and listened to her intently, hanging on to every word. She told him about her and Sirius's relationship, how she was in love with him at the time but wasn't sure if the feelings were reciprocated. Harry interrupted her again.

"He did love you 'Mione," Harry said firmly, "without question. You should of seen him when he realised you'd gone, it was terrifying. I thought he was going to have a nervous breakdown! He still does love you, I know he does…"

Hermione closed her eyes briefly and smiled sadly, "well anyway…"

She could feel her mouth moving and knew she was speaking but all she kept thinking about was that he loved her. Sirius loved Hermione, and possibly still did, according to Harry but to her, it didn't make sense. Yes, he _had_ told her that he loved her on more than one occasion, but how could he have done? If he loved someone he wouldn't have talked about her in the crude and careless manner that he did. No. She wouldn't believe it. He couldn't have done. And even in the unlikely case that he did and _still_ did, she was with Oliver now, and she was happy. That was all that mattered.

"…and so I didn't know what else to do. I was pregnant with his baby, he wasn't the man I thought he was and so I left," she clutched Harry's hand tighter as a rush of anger and pity crossed his face. "What you must understand is Harry, I didn't want to hurt any of you, especially not you, Ron and Ginny. You mean the world to me, and if I caused you any pain I'm sorry but I had to do what was best for Albert, my baby. I think it was the right thing to do."

Harry nodded understandingly, "I get it 'Mione, you don't need to apologise. I would have done the same if I were you. He's called Albert?" he grinned happily and patted her hand, and after a few minutes turned angry again, "but how could Sirius be so – so …"

Hermione waved her hand dismissively. "I don't care about that now; I'm over it and I'm over him."

Harry nodded again.

"But you know..." he began awkwardly, "you're going to have to tell Sirius that he has a three year old son, and things will get ugly."

Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "I know that, and I've known that from the start," she smiled at his apologetic look and shook her head.

"Don't worry Harry I'm ready for Mr Black! But anyway, enough about me..." she grinned, "you and Ginny! Getting married! I can't believe it, it's amazing! Congratulations!" she squealed, and launched herself at him in another hug.

Harry laughed at his best friend's incredible courage and excitement and felt his veins spark with happiness. She had lighted up his life already, after being back in it for a little less than an hour.

* * *

><p>Sirius shoved the pub door open and stepped out onto the cobbled street, impressed that he was able to walk reasonably straight after drinking a bottle of elf wine to himself, and several shots of fire whisky in only a few hours. He stretched widely like a bear and allowed his feet to take him to the apparition point at the bottom of the street, his boots clonking on the floor as he went.<p>

He loved the quiet strolls after a night of drinking. The cool night air cleared his head, and allowed his mind to roam and think about things. He loved throwing his head back and gazing at the stars as they twinkled above him, so small yet so clear and dazzlingly beautiful. The stars always reminded him of a girl he used to know.

_He was lounging in a chair in the garden of the Burrow, the darkness of the night dawning upon him as he sat alone. He sucked on his cigar and let the smoke escape from his lips, blowing it out in rings, feeling truly at _peace with the world. __

"_What have I told you about that habit Sirius?" an angelic voice spoke from behind him. He knew who it was. He felt her come up behind him and wrap her arms around his neck. _

"_I'm sorry 'Mione, love," he said sincerely, taking one last quick drag and flicking it away, "its Charlie; he's a bad influence on me. You know what he's like." _

_She rolled her eyes and settled her chin on his shoulder. "And I know what you're like." _

_He responded with his innocent puppy dog look and s__he slapped him playfully on the shoulder and made to leave, but he laughed and roughly pulled her on his lap. His arms slid and locked around her waist, holding her to him, and his hands settled on her abdomen. _

_They both sat observing the stars for a few minutes before he smirked, "I'm named after a star, you know." _

_She wriggled to face him on his lap, shaking her head, "of course I knew that! How gormless do you think I am?"_

_He chuckled at her defensiveness and kissed her cheek, "I love getting you worked up. What is it then?" _

_She returned her eyes to the stars shining above them. "The brightest star in the Canis Major constellation," she said matter-of-factly. "The dog star."_

_He grinned and interlaced their fingers together, noting how small her hand felt in his, yet how perfect they fitted. __"Can you keep a secret Hermione?"_

_"Well," she said, resting her head against his, "it depends." _

_"Oh?" he raised his eyebrows curiously, "On what?"_

_"If you're going to tell me that you're gay, then I have a haunch it won't stay a secret for long." _

_He barked with laughter and playfully bit into her neck, re-enacting a vampire sucking her blood, and she spasmed in his arms giggling. "If I'm gay," he whispered seductively into her ear, "then why is my mate down here getting hard as a brick?" _

_Hermione clasped her hand to her mouth in a mixture of shock, horror and disgust. "Sirius!" she admonished. "That is..." she shuddered, and purse her lips to stop the inevitable laugh. "I'm going to try and move past the fact that you just called your penis your 'mate' and onto this secret of yours. Are you going to tell me or is it just a tease?" _

_"Not a tease love," he said with a shake of his head. He leant in closer to her. "When you were younger, I always found your intellectual ability very sexy and I..." he closed his eyes in embarrassment. _

_"Sirius!" she tugged on his shirt collar, "Tell me!"_

_He opened his eyes to her, smiling at the cute pout of her lips, the small crinkle of a frown on her forehead. "Alright," he sighed, feigning hard done by, "When you came to stay at my house in the summer..."_

_"Before fifth year?" _

_He nodded, unconsciously pulling her closer to him. "You used to sit in the library for hours, curled up and reading in the armchair in the corner. I used to sit in that very armchair when I was a boy, and I don't know why but I..." he hesitated, and she kissed him as a way of getting it out of him. It worked. "I used to watch you. And... wonder what you were thinking about. And I'd leave honey dukes fudge on the coffee table for you."_

_"Oh, Sirius," her lips parted in a gasp, and she stroked his shaggy hair lovingly. "All along, that was you? I thought it was Molly trying to get me to eat more!" _

_"Nope," he smirked, running a hand gently down her cheek, "all me." _

_He watched her watch him, how her eyes were excited and warm with past memories. When she was sleepy, her long eyelashes would flutter. Her nose was small and cute like a button and her lips were full and feather soft when he kissed them, like fresh bed sheets and pillows. Her cheekbones were sculptured and were an artist's best work and her hair was the colour of chocolate and hung in elegant curls down her back. But it was her eyes he loved most. It was so bewitching when his grey eyes locked with hers that he could have sworn she had put him under a spell, and he knew that he could never deny her anything in the world if she looked at him with those eyes… though she didn't know that. _

"_You are so beautiful," he muttered against her neck, burying his nose into her hair. It smelt of roses and almonds. "You are more beautiful than the stars." _

_Her head swam with emotion as he stared into her eyes, cupping her face in his hands. _

"_I mean it," he said hoarsely, his expression sincere. _

_He claimed her lips before she had a chance to reply. His heart thumped so hard against his rib cage it was beyond him that she couldn't hear it. She parted her lips, allowing him to deepen the kiss. She whimpered as his tongue found hers and they danced slowly together, sensing one another's movements and who'd go that way and this. Her fingers tangled themselves in his unkempt, shaggy hair, her hands cupping the back of his neck as he kissed her harder. She tasted like the sweet Honeydukes chocolate he'd left for her in his house and h_e growled softly. God, he wanted her. He kissed a trail_ down her neck as she moved to straddle him, the little gasps and hot breaths she made were undoing him. She could feel his erection - (his 'mate') throbbing beneath her, rubbing intimately against the spot no one had gone before._

"_We can stop if you want," he breathed, searching for her eyes which were burning with lust, "I'll do whatever you wish." _

_Her lips crushed against his and he kissed her hungrily in response, running his hands under her skirt and unabashedly squeezing her arse as he barked with laughter. As hurriedly as they could s__he unbuckled his belt and pulled down the zip, followed by the hasty tugging of his trousers and boxers._

_They climbed to new passionate highs together that night. They always came together, and looked into each other's lusting eyes as time slowed down and the world fell around them in the last seconds of their frenzied coupling. They collapsed into each other's arms as they shivered in the darkness, their sweat stinging cold as the breeze blew. _

_That was the first time that Sirius and Hermione made love, under the stars and shadows of the moon. _

Sirius wished he'd had bought another firewhiskey now as he growled under his breath at his cherished memory. He didn't want to still feel these feelings, because they were causing him too much agony to deal with and it was killing him inside. He could never admit that Hermione broke his heart, but his mind, body and spirit ached for her constantly, even when he had another witch in his arms or in his bed, it wasn't his 'Mione. No one would come close.

_You're with Loretta now._ He reminded himself, wrenching his thoughts away from the woman who drove him crazy and had occupied his thoughts and his heart for what seemed like forever.

And then he saw her.

She was laughing and walking arm in arm with Harry.

_Her laugh_. The amount of times he had heard that beautiful sound. It was like a breath of fresh air in his infected lungs, like sunshine in the height of a storm. Harry said he would find her, and he had.

He felt like his heart had stopped beating as he froze on the spot, debating in his mind whether he was dreaming or she was real, for he had never remembered her to be this stunning, this angelic. His stomach lurched; she was like no woman he had ever met or indeed wished to meet. He would have never described Hermione as 'leggy' but in those heels they seemed to go on for days, toned and topped off with silky smooth skin. Her chocolate waves hung to her breasts as it always had done, shining in the moonlight and illuminating all that he loved about her, all that made Hermione _her._ Her infectious, throaty laugh rang in his ears, shooting sparks through his veins and nearly caused his head to split from the threat of fainting.

His hungry eyes never left her as the pair continued to walk towards another man whom he didn't recognise. Sirius watched the man hug his witch close, all the while his heart aching, and then he snapped his eyes shut as if they'd been burnt by the sight.

The man was kissing her. His 'Mione. His muscles tensed threateningly as he ran unsteadily towards them, he didn't know what he was going to say or do when he got to them, he just needed to speak to her.

Harry's eyes widened as he saw who was approaching. Hermione was still wrapped in Oliver's arms, apologising repeatedly for leaving him.

"You need to go and check on Albert!" Hermione said impatiently, kissing him chastely on the lips to shut him up, "please, go and get him Oliver! I'm not going to be back for a while so go and get him now, then Harry can meet my little boy," she beamed and turned around to face Harry, who wasn't alone…

_Sirius. _

She nearly choked on her own breath as brown met with grey for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. God, he had missed her so much. His eyes leaked confusion as they searched hers, wondering if he'd heard right. Hermione knew what he was thinking and broke his stare as he stepped inquiringly towards her. Close enough to touch.

He took enough step closer, his hands twitching to touch her, just to gently brush her chin with his fingers... anything. He reached and touched her hand instead, and there was jolt of what felt like electricity surge through their bodies. They both felt it, and neither of them mentioned it. He lifted her chin to look up at him.

"'Mione?" he whispered, uncertainly. He swallowed nervously as her eyes didn't quite meet his. "Your – your little boy?"

Hermione closed her eyes briefly, knowing that it was going to take every ounce of her strength not to cry. This was the moment where he would find out the secret that had been eating her up inside, like a disease. Her watery eyes met his grey fathomless ones and she cleared her throat.

"I have a three year old son, Sirius," she muttered, her lips trembling as she saw him slowly come to terms with what she was about to say. Sirius's hand dropped numbly from her own as the news had momentarily left him speechless. His chest throbbed as he stared at the floor, and his eyes pricked with tears that started to well around his eyes when he managed to catch her words...

"and you're his father."

Her words hit him like a bucket of ice cold water and the shocking pain didn't subside – he felt as though he couldn't breathe.

He struggled to remain upright as the news sunk in like a hammer to the head. Harry was trying to hold him up, trying to talk to him. But he couldn't face her - him - the lot of them. He faintly heard her call his name and reach for his hand but he pulled away as if her touch burned him and disapparated without looking back.


	3. Oliver the Obstacle

Chap 3: _**Oliver the Obstacle**_

* * *

><p>Sirius paced the floor of his bedroom, his face buried in his hands as his body broke out in sharp sobs. He never cried. He was brave and fearless and hardly ever felt himself reduce to tears. The only times he had was when James and Lily had been murdered and the other was the evening that Hermione left him, and he had never spoken about that occasion to anyone.<p>

But _this._

_He had a child! _

A _little boy. _A_ son._ His own flesh and blood who had laughed and smiled, talked and cried on this earth for three years without him ever knowing he existed. The news was so unexpected and overwhelming that even crying didn't seem like enough. How could Hermione have done that to him? How could she have lived with the guilt that their baby boy had an absent father figure? He could have passed him in a street and not even realised that it was his son. He would have been just that. A passer-by. A stranger to him. Was that what hurt the most?

_No_. Something clicked in his mind. Something far - far worse, and he dropped his hands from his wet eyes and ran them consciously through his shaggy black hair, deep in thought. The man that Hermione was with. The bloke he didn't recognise. His son's probably grown up calling him '_daddy_'.

He doubled over and leant on his dressing table, feeling as though his heart had been pierced a hundred times over.

That was what hurt the most.

He would never forgive Hermione for this. Anger like he had never known bubbled up inside his chest like a cauldron brewing a spicy dish and spread all over his body like a rash that he couldn't get rid of.

He was going to see his son, and he didn't care _who_ tried to stop him.

* * *

><p>The following evening Oliver sat watching television as Hermione read to Albert in the nursery. It must have been Little Red Riding hood, as Albert's excited yells of '<em>Oh, what big teeth you have Granny!'<em> could be heard quite clearly through the walls of the flat, and probably half way down the street.

Oliver chuckled and rested his head back on the sofa, closing his eyes as he waited for his witch to join him. There was a rather loud knock at the door which startled him in his sleepy daze, and he sat up and yawned. The visitor banged the door louder this time, practically thumping in impatience.

"Alright I'm coming!" Oliver called, reluctantly heaving himself from the sofa to answer the door.

His jaw dropped when he saw who stood in front of him.

"What are you doing here, Black?" he said coldly, keeping the door half shut as he peeked round.

Sirius clenched his jaw. It took all his control to hold in the threatening growl that was likely to come out of his mouth. "Look," he said, slowly, in a voice of forced calmness. "This whole situation would be a lot easier if you just co-operated. Let me in. I want to see my son. Please."

Oliver shook his head smugly, as if rubbing it in, "I'm afraid you can't. Hermione is reading him a bed-time story."

The calmness went out the bloody window. Sirius tried to keep his cool, but he was finding it increasingly hard as Hermione's boyfriend - or whoever he was - sneered openly at him, clearly taking much enjoyment from denying him access into the flat. Sirius's hands shook in fury and his knuckles clenched tightly in refrain. Oh how he would enjoy punching this git's jeering expression right off.

"Who the fuck are you?" Sirius shot at him irritably, "stop getting in the way of me seeing my boy! Go and get 'Mione!"

Oliver crossed his arms over his chest and laughed teasingly. "No, because then you'd probably get in the way of us having sex tonight. So I'd rather just shut the door on you."

Sirius's eyes darkened as he grabbed him roughly by his neck and shoved him against the front door with such force the hinges threatened to snap. Oliver yelped in pain.

He glared into the man's once sneering face who was now blinking stupidly. "Why you Scottish - fucking - _prick_," he hissed through gritted teeth as he gripped his collar tighter, "you dare speak about Hermione like that again and I'll rip your tiny balls off you c-!"

"Sirius!" Hermione exclaimed incredulously, running to Oliver's aid, "what are you doing? Let go of him!"

Sirius released Oliver immediately and let him slip down the front door, clutching his neck dramatically. Sirius stepped over him carelessly, entering the house and coming face to face with Hermione who stood looking hysterically at him in a dressing gown. His eyes bored into hers as if they were trying to communicate through mind-messages.

"I want to see him," Sirius seethed, "and I'm not leaving until I do."

Oliver spluttered exasperatedly from the doorway but they both ignored him.

"_Albert_ is sleeping in his cot," she snapped harshly. "How dare you come in here demanding to see him? You have no right!"

"I have every right!" Sirius roared, "I'M HIS DAD!"

"That doesn't mean you can come and go whenever you please!"

"Well you never really gave me much of a chance before did you?" he bellowed, anger like he had never known sweeping over his body.

"I'm not having this conversation now, Sirius! You can see him tomorrow at Harry and Ginny's wedding!"

Sirius gripped his hair in frustration and stepped closer to her. "I'm not waiting any longer! I've missed three years of my son's life, I'm not missing any-fucking-more!"

"A couple of hours aren't going to make any difference you idiot," Oliver's voice snarled from a distance away, "leave!" he spat. "Now!"

Sirius ignored Oliver as he continued to stare at Hermione; their eyes pierced each other with a heated glare as they panted heavily for a few minutes. Letting out their anger at one another come pouring out.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded, stepping so close to her they were inches from each other's face.

"Because you're Sirius Black! The man who sleeps around and doesn't care about who he shags as longs as he gets it! You don't care about who you hurt or the damage you are causing... you don't care for anything other than yourself! Our whole relationship - if there ever was one - was absolutely meaningless to you! How on earth could you expect me to stay?" she yelled furiously back at him, flying her arms in the air as she did so.

Sirius looked as though she'd slapped him and stepped even closer forward, so their breaths were catching. "Merlin woman! It wasn't meaningless to me and you know it! You knew how I felt about you, I'd have done _anything_ for you and you know that! I told you - I _told you_ Hermione! And I wasn't bloody lying! So don't stand there and tell me that I didn't care about you when you were the one who left _me!"_

His voice shook with emotion that he couldn't grasp. He was broken on the inside and out, and now he was losing control rapidly. Hermione knew it too, for her expression had turned pitying. She shook her head and smiled at him sadly. "Empty promises, Sirius. That's what they were, and what they always would have been with you. They mean nothing to me, absoulutely nothing-"

He shook his head, frustrated with confusion. "What are you talking about?"

She laughed, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I got back from the hospital after finding out I was pregnant and oh - if that wasn't enough, I overheard that the father of said baby had a nice, juicy deal planned out with Madam Rosmerta behind my back! YOU OFFERED HER SEX!" she shouted, and backed away from him, looking like she was about to throw up.

Her words, and the disgusted look on her face that she wore when looking at him cut him like a knife to his heart. The anger inside him faded like sand pouring through his fingers.

"Oh Hermione love... no! You've got it all wrong! I never touched her I promise you, I never did anything with her," he said hoarsely as he reached out for her hand. She pushed him away. "We going to... Rosmerta had it planned for years, but that was before we were together! I wouldn't go behind your back Hermione, I didn't go near her, I swear it. I didn't go near any other woman. I couldn't - I wouldn't… the way I felt about you 'Mione... I've never felt that -" he sighed. "You won't understand…"

Hermione opened her mouth to reply but Oliver cut across her.

"_OUT!_ Get the fuck out now!" he shrieked, rounding on Sirius with daggers darting out of his eyes, "how dare you barge into our house uninvited and then have the cheek to stand there and openly flirt with my girlfriend!" he was shouting so much he spit was spraying, "you may be Albert's father but I'm still Hermione's boyfriend so get – out – now!"

Sirius clenched his fists in rage and growled dangerously as Oliver shoved him towards the door with his shoulder. "Jesus Christ, I said I came here to see my son! Don't make me deck you one you tosspot!"

Oliver flinched but continued shoving him roughly out the door, and Hermione placed a hand on his forearm, as if about to try and persuade him to not be so aggressive. But he wouldn't have listened either way. Sirius's shoulders slumped; he knew he was fighting a losing battle. He knew that however much he argued and threatened Oliver he was only making it harder for himself to his little boy. His eyes silently pleaded with Hermione's as Oliver dragged him out by his shirt collar, but she looked just as helpless as he was. He fought back vigorously, nearly rugby tackling him at one point, with his hand forever itching for his wand.

Hermione mouthed 'I'm sorry' at him as he was shoved out of the door and into the street. It was past midnight now and the darkness swallowed him up as the door slammed shut in his face. Alone in a random street in the middle of god knows where, shunned out of his little three year old's life once again - his veins pumped with infuriating anger and he let out a vicious growl and slammed his fist against their front door. On the collision his hand screamed in protest, but he didn't give a shit.

The only thing he did give a shit about - and always would - was for someone he hadn't even met and he swore to himself there and then, that it was the last time he was going to be thrown out in the cold. The last time his son was going to slip out of his grasp.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Thank you so much for all your kind reviews! I hope you are all enjoying the story so far! Until next time- Hollister9 x_**


	4. The Wedding

Chap 4:** _The Wedding_**

* * *

><p>"You look stunning Ginny!" Hermione squealed, clapping her hand to her mouth as she stood back to view her best friend who stood in her white shimmering wedding dress.<p>

"You – you think?" Ginny asked uncertainly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and grasped her friend's hands, "you look amazing, and Harry won't be able to keep his eyes off you!"

Ginny grinned, "And somehow I don't think Oliver will be able to keep his eyes off you either! I know he's not coming but he needs to see you Hermione, you look beautiful! When Sirius sees you he is going to be kicking himself babe, trust me!" she added with a cackle.

Hermione waved her hand dismissively, though secretly she was revelling with the idea of Sirius's grey eyes rolling over her body as he stared at her with a jaw dropping to the floor. Seeing his expression was going to be the cherry on top of a brilliant day, she was sure of it. He could long for her, but he wasn't going to have her in any way. And if he was anything like he used to be when it came to seeing her looking so elegantly pretty, it was going to kill him. Though she was pretty sure he would ignore her, after yesterday's events, and she wouldn't mind not speaking to the man at all either.

"This is your day Ginny," Hermione reminded Ginny for what was about the fiftieth time that morning. "And I'm sure Sirius will be eyeing up plenty of other women to spare me with attention," she said lightly. "It's never stopped him in the past."

Ginny's expression turned from gleeful to disgusted instantly.

"You need to say something to him Hermione, he is the biggest prick ever for saying what he said about you and the Rosmerta thing. And Charlie," she shot a look of warning at her, "Don't even get me started on him. What a twat. Disgusting. I'll be having more than just words with him."

Hermione bit back a laugh as she pulled the bride from the room and carefully guided her down the stairs to the delightful sobs of Mrs Weasley who was cradling Albert in her arms.

"Okay, calm down Ginny. It is your wedding day. I heard it's meant to be the best day of your life."

They laughed until their stomach's ached.

* * *

><p>Hermione scooped Albert up in her arms, stroking his curly hair as she walked nervously walked into the Burrow, where the ceremony was commencing.<p>

She could hear the buzz of waiting family and friends as they waited in anticipation for the bride's arrival. As she drew closer, she could see the dozens and dozens of eyes turn their way as the two women floated down the aisle. Hermione beamed. Ginny looked absolutely stunning, like an angel gliding through the Earth, and she knew she looked pretty okay too.

The Burrow's back garden had been transformed into the perfect fairy tale wedding scene since Hermione had last stepped foot there three years ago. She was aware that Harry had told the Weasley's she would be arriving with her son, and so she wasn't at all surprised when a blur of flaming red hair flung his arms around her and the little boy's neck as she gracefully followed Ginny down the aisle. It was of course, Ron.

"Ronald!" Hermione gasped, hugging him in return but attempting to follow Ginny as they were starting to draw attention to themselves, "It's so good to see you!" she smiled, as he kissed both her cheeks and nose, clearly speechless. He offered her his arm in a gentlemanly manner, and they both followed the bride.

She kissed Albert's forehead as he remained impeccably silent like she had told him to moments before. Ginny had reached Harry at the front of the garden, who stood swelling with pride. Mrs Weasley discreetly nudged Hermione as she came to a halt behind them, offering to hold Albert for her. Hermione politely declined, wanting to hold her baby close to her, watching as curiosity swarmed his eyes as he gazed around him, clutching onto his mummy.

Ron and Hermione eventually parted; Ron standing alongside Harry as his best man and Hermione next to Ginny, as her maid of honour.

She could feel Sirius's burning eyes on her. She never thought that the first time her son would be meeting his father would be at a wedding, and she could only imagine how much he wanted to sprint over to them. She took a deep breath and focussed on the service.

* * *

><p>"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join together this man, Harry James Potter, and this woman, Ginevra Molly Weasley, in holy matrimony," Kingsley spoke loudly, "marriage is about making a lifetime commitment to one another in the name of love and all thee here today shall witness their oath."<p>

Hermione glanced over to Sirius, who stood looking as handsome as a royal prince in the front row next to the twins. She caught his grey fathomless eyes for a split second before returning her gaze to the front. She suddenly felt extremely relieved she had ordered Oliver to stay at home, as she knew being as paranoid as he was, he would read into the exchange between the two and accuse Hermione of not being over him. Whenever old feelings crept over her though, she only had to remember his words said about her that time to Charlie Weasley for a powerful wave of anger to sweep over her and remind her why she left Sirius in the first place.

She had never truly gotten over those words.

"Now for the vowels," Kingsley announced, indicating to Ron who fumbled in his robe pocket for the rings. He held them out with a shaky hand. Kingsley smiled pleasantly.

"Now Harry, repeat after me – I, Harry James Potter…"

* * *

><p>"I, Ginevra Molly Weasley, take thee Harry James Potter to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us depart," Ginny spoke, fiercely confident.<p>

She grinned as Harry interlaced their fingers.

It was the most beautiful service. Hermione felt tears of joy trickle down her cheeks as she witnessed her best friends marry. Their love for one another was so evident. It was constantly there; in their eyes, their smiles and the way they spoke to one another and the way they held each other's hand.

She felt a tiny palm rest against her cheek and peered down to see Albert staring up at her with worried, big grey eyes.

"It's okay darling," she whispered, snuggling him close, "mummy's fine."

* * *

><p>When the service had finished Ron immediately rushed over to her.<p>

"HERMIONE!" he shouted through the crowds as he pushed past them and finally managed to reach her.

Hermione laughed at his enthusiasm and held him close as they hugged.

"So this Albert?" Ron asked weakly, smiling kindly at the tot.

She nodded.

Ron held up his hand for a high five which Albert responded to powerfully.

Ron raised his eyebrows impressively, "quite a strong little guy, aren't you?"

Albert nodded proudly.

"So how have you been?" Ron asked Hermione excitedly, "it's so good to see you; I don't know how we've survived without you Hermione, truly. What have you been up to? You have to tell me everything!"

Hermione giggled and started to talk animatedly until she looked absently over her shoulder. Her voice faded to silence.

Sirius was making his way towards them, running a shaky hand through his unkempt locks nervously. Ron noticed him approaching too and whispered a 'good luck' and 'see you later' before slipping hurriedly away.

Sirius stopped in front of them.

His heart hammered against his chest as he took in the adorable little boy's appearance. Same eyes, same hair, and same smile as he had – even the same cute dimples on his cheeks. It was like looking upon a younger version of him.

Their eyes met and for a minute it felt as if the world had slowed down for this moment as father and son acknowledged each other for the first time, gently smiling to one another as a sizzling connection fused between them like they understood one another already.

Sirius found himself fighting back the tears. He couldn't believe it! He had always loved children, he was wonderful with baby Harry back in the day, but he had never thought he'd have a child of his own.

He felt a surge of affection and love for his little toddler son, such strong unconditional love that would last forever and the weight of huge responsibility thrust upon his shoulders. His heart was soaring; he looked _so_ like him it was uncanny – apart from his nose. He had Hermione's cute button nose.

Sirius swallowed hard and stepped closer to Hermione, who was holding him.

"Hello," he said softly, "you made a very good bridesmaid assistant."

Albert smiled shyly at him and buried his head in the crook of his mum's neck. Sirius visibly stiffened and his eyes filled with vulnerability flickered to Hermione's in a silent question. "He doesn't know what assistant means," she mouthed, then kissed the shy toddler's head. "Albert! Why are you hiding?" she said in a silly voice. "Sirius just said hello to you!"

Instead of re-emerging, Albert spoke into her neck, his small voice sounding muffled, though Hermione could hear his words as clear as day. "No Siri..." he struggled to pronounce his name. "No Siri. I want daddy."

Sirius heard too, and his shiny eyes widened. Was he calling Oliver his daddy? Hermione stared silently at the man in front of her with watering orbs of apology and fought herself not to sob as she cradled their son in her arms. "Sweetheart, Sirius is your daddy," she whispered to him. "He's the man I've been telling you about remember? He can roar really loudly. He's your daddy," she said again.

When the little boy still hadn't moved, Sirius bent down so he was at eye level with him. "Here Albert," he said. "Do you want to see something amazing? Something no one else can do but me? Not even your mummy can do it," he told him, with a teasing smirk directed at Hermione, who tutted and rolled her eyes playfully.

"Albert watch darling," she whispered in his ear, and sure enough he unburied himself from his mother's neck enough to peek a glance at Sirius transform himself from a man into a dog in less than a second.

Snuffles the big black dog animagus began leaping up in an attempt to lick the boy's face and his big grey eyes brightened with intrigue and fascination, so much so that his tiny hand curled around Snuffle's thick fur. His dangly slimy tongue came into contact with Albert's cheek and the toddler burst into a peal of giggles and the sensation, making the dog bark happily and turn back into human form again.

Hermione squealed as Sirius appeared clothes-less in front of her and whipped around so she wouldn't have to witness the sight. Sirius merely beamed and rumbled a laugh from behind her, not at all bothered that he had just appeared naked in front of dozens of people. When his chuckling continued she turned to shoot him a glare, but immediately felt embarrassed for doing so when she saw him rearranging his manhood inside his boxers with one hand and pull on his suit trousers with the other.

She remembered that body well. It wasn't a body you could easily forget.

"Daddy?" the toddler piped up. "Daddy?" he almost shouted to Sirius as he watched him over Hermione's shoulder facing the other way.

Sirius shrugged on his white shirt and made quick work of the buttons, smiling widely as he did so. "I'm coming," he told the boy, and quickly shrugged on his suit jacket, trying and failing to hide the contagious ear to ear grin that spread across his face. It made him look younger, because he was bursting with pride as well as immense happiness. He deserved it too, after having been denied it so long and Albert deserved his daddy.

The toddler squirmed in his mother's arms as he reached out to his father, wishing to be taken by him. With three quick strides Sirius had closed the space, put his hands under his armpits and picked him up. He held him in one arm like he had been holding him for three years, and bobbed him up and down gently. It was the first time having him in his arms, and he couldn't help but shed a tear. His little one felt so small, so delicate, so _soft _that it felt like a fragment of his imagination.

"Daddy," Albert smiled, and Sirius saw a perfect reflection of his own cheekiness in his son.

"I'm here, I'm right here," he murmured into his silky black-brown head of hair, kissing it. "I'm not going anywhere. Daddy's not going anywhere."

Hermione watched and found herself having to fan away the tears welling in her eyes. The loving scene made her realise that she had achieved all she ever wanted: for Albert to have his dad who loved him unconditionally. The subject of love wasn't (and would never be) an issue. Sirius had loved him from the moment he found out he was a father. Now Albert had the oppurtunity to see how alike he and his dad really were - like she had told him he would.

* * *

><p>For the rest of the afternoon Sirius strolled around with Albert parading on his shoulders, or swung over his back in a fireman carry, chuckling as he burst with exhilarating giggles. Each of the Weasley children were introduced to him and they had all taken to the toddler like they had known him since he was born, and it warmed her more than words could say.<p>

She felt like she was really home.

"Speeches!" Fred called over the garden a few hours later, the sky became darker but it didn't stop people dancing wildly, sloshing their drink in their hand or chatting animatedly on the outskirts around circular tables.

George charmed the pumping music to fade out and requested everyone to take their seats at the tables.

The Weasley's, Sirius, Hermione, Neville and Luna were seated on the bride and groom's table. Albert had fallen asleep in his father's arms, his tiny hands curled around Sirius's neck. Sirius relaxed in his chair, a smile playing on his lips as he watched him sleep.

"Ron, best man, come up here you great buffoon," Fred smirked.

Ron turned scarlet and stumbled up to the front of the garden, tripping over his feet as the effects of drinking firewhiskey started taking over. Harry and Hermione exchanged amused looks and looked away quickly to stop laughing. Ron had never been able to take his alcohol.

He grabbed the microphone rather aggressively, "well today has been bloody wicked," he slurred, grinning lopsidedly, "my little sis and my best mate Harry getting married. Now I'm not one to be all emotional and that, but as this a speech then I'd just better say that Harry has always been by my side with everything, and we have had some good times and some bad, at times we have argued yeah, but we have always gotten over it, mainly because I've beaten him," he winked, and everyone laughed, "but yeah – it has always been the golden trio, me, Harry and Hermione and it's a friendship that no one can ever break," Hermione felt herself blushing as some people's eyes swivelled to her, "so I would like to wish the happy couple the best future," he raised his glass, indicating for everyone to do the same and shouted, "to Harry and Ginny!"

"To Harry and Ginny!" everyone announced happily, and downed their glasses.

Ron managed to make his way back to their table without tripping up, and the music started back up again, causing many to jump back on their feet and dance.

"Do you fancy a dance Hermione?" Charlie Weasley said, charmingly, leaning on the back of her chair. "I want to take you for a spin. Something tells me you're a good mover."

Hermione choked on the wine she was currently swallowing, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Just a dance, I swear! I'm not going to take advantage!" he yelped, holding his hands up in surrender,

"Yeah you better not!" Ron warned.

Feeling as though she couldn't exactly back out now, she reluctantly accepted on the basis that she wasn't going to let him touch her inappropriately in any way whatsoever. Standing up and smoothing her dress, she immediately regretted her decision to accept when Charlie pulled her with no hesitation to the dance floor.

"I'll talk to you later, Luna!" she called over her shoulder.

Sirius sat reeling as he watched Charlie dance suggestively with her, never missing an opportunity to touch her waist or sneak a peek at her breasts and bum. He watched how Hermione would steer his hand away when he came to close, or nudge him in the ribs if he tried to dance behind her.

Remus seemed to sense his uneasiness from across the table.

"It's just a dance Sirius, he's not going to try anything," he said quietly.

"He already is," Sirius said hotly, trying not to raise his voice as Albert slept soundly on his lap.

"Can you blame the man?" Remus asked incredulously, "She looks absolutely gorg-" he met Sirius steely gaze and hastily added, "Er – she look's alright."

Remus looked questioningly at his friend, shaking his head in confusion.

"I don't understand why you're getting like this. You have Loretta. She has Oliver. Why are you still acting like you're with her?"

Sirius murmured something unrecognisable.

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that," Remus chortled.

Sirius sighed dramatically, and beckoned Remus to lean in so no one would overhear.

"Because I wish I still was with her," he said through a strained voice, as if every word was causing him a huge amount of effort.

Remus smiled smugly and leaned back against his chair, "I knew it!"

"Oh shut your trap Moony," he snapped.

"Alright, alright, I'm just saying, it was obvious you still had feelings for her," Remus said, "why don't you go and talk to her?"

Sirius shifted in his seat, hoisting Albert further on his shoulder protectively. "Because we'll probably end up arguing," he sighed heavily.

Remus contemplated this for a moment before shaking his head, "no I don't think so Padfoot old friend," he watched as Sirius's eyes followed her every move, "not if you play your cards right."

Sirius groaned, "well, when it comes to winning girls, I have that all worked out," he took a swig from his firewhiskey, "it's just making up with them that's the problem. Especially her," he grimaced, "Normally, girls are predictable, their body language - if they like you they're suggestive, touchy... easy to read. But with Hermione, I can't read her at all."

"I'm sure she says the same about you," Remus laughed.

Sirius sighed and grunted, "I'm going for a smoke."

He rose from his chair, kissing his son softly on the head and strutted over to Mrs Weasley to take Albert until he came back.

* * *

><p>Hermione managed to shake Charlie off half an hour later after much wild dancing, saying she needed to speak urgently with Luna and quickly scarpered before he could call her back. He really was disgusting, in every way. Just the feel of his sweaty hands on her waist made her recoil and her stomach lurch.<p>

And it wasn't from all the alcohol.

Breaking away from the crowd, her eyes searched the packed garden for Sirius holding Albert but she couldn't find him anywhere.

She wandered back to their table, her mind hazy from too much wine.

"Are you feeling alright, Hermione?" Remus asked, concerned.

She nodded feebly, gripping on to the back of a chair for support, "have you seen Sirius?"

"Yeah he went for a smoke."

Her eyes widened in shock.

"_WHAT?_"

"No – not with Albert – he gave him to Molly until he got back!" Remus stammered, looking quite alarmed.

She relaxed in relief and thanked Remus before heading off to find him.

It didn't take her long; he was round the front of the Burrow, leaning against the fence as he sucked on his cigar in the darkness, gazing up at the bright moon.

She walked unsteadily towards him.

"Still smoking then?"

He turned to look at her and smiled.

"Oh yeah – I forgot you hated it," he mused, stroking his goatee before taking a last drag of his cigar and flicking it away.

She didn't speak for a while.

He cleared his throat to break the tension.

"We need to talk," he murmured.

_State the obvious. _Hermione thought.

She, however, wasn't feeling too confident either.

She swallowed nervously and stared at her feet, to avoid meeting his intense gaze.

"I know."

He watched her look anywhere but his eyes, how she cuddled her arms from the cold and he couldn't help but admire how stunning she stood there before him, like the first night they made love… He wrenched his mind away from that night. That was then, and this was now. Too much had changed. They needed to talk about a lot of things, he knew; the whole situation was so much more complicated than either of them could have fathomed. It wasn't just that Hermione left now. It was so much more than that. Three years on and they had a son together, a vault full of words left unsaid and feelings swept under the carpet. Feelings that would be wrong to express since they both had long term partners.

"You left me," he said, his tone full of accusation, "why? You never explained properly yesterday - not really."

Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes as she finally looked up at him. Vulnerability was screaming across his face as he stared at her, his brow creased in frustration and longing for what she was going to say. It reminded her of his innocent puppy dog look he pulled rather a lot when they were together, and it didn't make her feel sorry for him like it used to. It didn't make her laugh either; more than anything it killed her to think he saw her as a stupid little girl who didn't know when she was being made a fool of, which she wasn't going to stand for.

"Stop acting like you don't know Sirius. You know what you said, those words which are just so wrong and horrible that I wouldn't wish the pain I've gone through on anyone," she backed away as he stepped closer towards her, "and then you have the nerve to ask me why _**I**_ left?" she pressed her palm to her forehead hysterically, "you know, you are such a prick it's really quite unbelievable…"

"WHAT DID I SAY?" he roared, the shadow of his maddening Azkaban escapee-self creeping through, "I don't remember! And if I said something so bad for you to react like this then I wouldn't have bloody meant it I SWEAR to you! What have I done? Please Hermione just tell me…"

"Do you really think I'm so stupid enough to fall for your tricks again? '_I'm THE Sirius Black, every witch I woo falls for me eventually!_'" she shrilled, "no I won't, it's not happening Sirius! I'm never going to forgive you and I'm never going to love you again!"

Sirius looked as though his mother had arisen from the dead and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. His hand lunged for hers desperately and he pulled her against him, she tried to shove him away but he held her firmly in his arms; she could feel him shaking against her. It wasn't with anger.

"Please – please, don't say that," he croaked, his voice breaking, "you know how I feel about you, you know I'm all yours, I'm sorry for whatever I said! I didn't mean it, it's a load of shit, I love y-!"

"DON'T SAY YOU LOVE ME!" she shrieked, throwing punches furiously against his chest, half sobbing as she did so, "if you loved me you would've cared that I was ill and not pissed off that you couldn't have sex, you would have stuck up for me when Charlie asked for you to FILM IT and not laugh along with him…" she was crying now, it hurt more than words could say speaking of it, she would remember his words forever. "You would have actually w-wanted me for m-me!"

Sirius's eyes were wet with tears as he cradled her. He couldn't feel the punches anymore; his whole body was numb with pain. He wondered if this was what it like to for your heart to be broken again when it had never recovered from the last blow. Azkaban was nothing compared to this. The dementors were crawling in his veins like bugs, infecting his blood, sucking and sucking showing no remorse. Instead of black hoods they had chocolate ringlets… beautiful eyes you could get lost in… full and sensual lips… a throaty laugh…

"_Hermione love, what are you doing?" Sirius called, a hint of amusement detected in his voice. _

_It was Harry's 21__st__ birthday, and they were celebrating it at the Burrow. Everyone was out in the backyard, soaking in the July sun and enjoying ice cold beers. Sirius was standing on the patio watching her attempt to mount a broomstick. She had never been very confident with flying. _

_He chuckled as he heard her snap, "what does it look like I'm doing?" He set down his firewhiskey on the table and jogged towards her, abruptly leaving Charlie in mid conversation. _

"_It looks like you're about to fall off any minute darling," he teased, kissing her on the cheek before grabbing the back of the broom to hold it steady, "you need to move back first, you're too far forward." _

_Hermione shot him a mock glare before shuffling backwards. She raised her eyebrows when the broom instantly became more balanced in the air. _

"_And now hold your hands here," he said, gently placing one hand near the top of the broom and the other beneath it, he smiled as she crinkled her nose in concentration, "you're going to need to lean further forward than that love," he said, chortling as her breasts peeked out from her low cut dress she wore. _

_She made to slap him on the shoulder but thought better of it when her broom shook unsteadily and she grasped it fearfully again. He kissed her softly on the neck, "there we go," he murmured, "you're ready to fly now." _

_She didn't budge, but just bit her lip and glanced at him. _

"_Come on with me," she whispered, "I'm scared."_

_He didn't say anything for a few moments, but just nodded. It was a mark of their relationship that he didn't laugh, like she thought he would have. _

_He wanted to protect her when she felt frightened, and he did. _

_He swung his leg over the broomstick and settled in behind her, wrapping one arm around her waist and resting a hand on top of her hand at the top of the broom for comfort and reassurance. He felt her muscles relax immediately. It made his heart warm knowing that she felt safe around him, even when he kicked them off the ground and sped into the sky – around Sirius, she was safe. _

"'Mione, look at me," he whispered, cupping her face in his hands, "I just want you, just you and our little boy, and you'd make me the happiest man on Earth," he kissed her trembling lips softly. "I'm sorry, I have never meant it more – please – please. You're killing me Hermione."

They stayed like that for what felt like forever, but in reality it could have been seconds, or a couple of minutes. Hermione didn't know. His words were beautiful, she couldn't deny, but whether he meant them or not was another matter. She felt herself shake her head, tears trickling down her rose cheeks as she did so, and wriggle away from his strong hold.

"I need to go," she hollered, "I need to clear my head… give me some space okay? I'll bring Albert to you. I-I told you I never want to love you again and I'm sticking to that, and if you do love me, you can experience the years of pain I went through over you, Sirius."

She raised her chin defiantly and turned on her heel and ran away from him.

He caught her by the wrist and pulled her back, "'Mione no! For fuck's sake - I love you! Please I _love_ you!"

Catching his pained expression, her breath hitched before pressing her lips against his. The second their lips touched it was a haze of tongue swipes battling for dominance and heavy breaths. Her arms were wound round his neck. And his were everywhere, caressing her collarbone, cupping her cheeks, tangled into her hair... There were teeth clashes and tugs on lips and traces of saliva on chins. It wasn't a good kiss in any means. Sloppy, desperate, and rushed deemed more appropriate - but it was a kiss searing with passion at its highest. They were drunk on each other's scent and taste from three years ago. She pushed back against his chest and pulled away but he only re-captured her lips and pulled her closer, and she whimpered into his embrace. The fiery kiss would start again.

Somehow, many minutes later, she found the strength to break away from his lips and take a shaky step back. When she opened her mouth she said the words that she had been meaning to say. The words which - though cliche - best summed up their situation.

"Love isn't enough anymore Sirius," she whispered.

And with that, she disappeared around the corner before he could catch his breath. She left him, just like she had done last time, with her last words floating in the air and the taste of her stinging his lips.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: It's all very dramatic! I hope it isn't too cliche, but I wanted their passion to be shown in all it's light. Even if it meant saliva on chins. **I watched the Harry Potter Part 2 opening night (obviously!) and it was amazing. Nothing compared to the book but _still_, I was sobbing hysterically with my best mate in the cinema. Bit obsessed I'd say. Anyway, I'll keep writing through my depression! ****_


	5. Killing Me Softly

**Chapter 5 – Killing Me Softly**

* * *

><p><em>(Two weeks later)<em>

Sirius was sitting at the head of the kitchen table at Grimmauld Place, his face in his hands and the world on his shoulders. He hadn't seen his son in a week, which scared him more than words could say. What if he forgot who his dad was? The thought had been giving him nightmares for the past few nights.

He hadn't seen _**her**_ since the wedding two weeks ago. Though that didn't make any difference, she was, without fail, permanently plastered across his mind every minute of every day and nearly every dream ended up with her in his arms one way or another. He felt like he was living in his own prison - he could go anywhere he wanted to go on Earth, but he could never escape her in his mind. More than once he woke up thinking that his dreams were reality, and she was sleeping next to him like some beautiful angel, her head resting against his chest.

But she wasn't there. All that greeted him was cold sheets and an empty bed.

He had ended it with Loretta the day after the wedding. She had known something wasn't right as soon as she received an owl from Sirius telling her to meet him at his house. He had never invited her around his house, he said he hated it and 'it wasn't for her eyes to see', so they always went back to hers after dates. Being blonde and petite and simply irresistible, she was quietly confident that whatever Sirius wanted to talk about, it was about moving their relationship to the next level. They had been together for over two years, and she took pride in being Sirius Black's girlfriend, because everyone knew he was as gorgeous as a Prince and as charming as one too. He was the best lover she had ever had, and although he had never said he loved her, she had fallen hopelessly in love with him and was crossing her fingers for a proposal.

_She knocked twice on the door, brushing her hair out of her eyes as she did so and smoothing out the creases on her hot pink dress. Sirius said he had liked this dress on her, and it being his favourite, she thought it was the most obvious choice of clothing to wear on the day he was going to ask for her hand in marriage. She was so excited she could barely walk, her ankles slid in her strappy heels as she stood on the front step of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. She knocked again. Why was he taking so long to open the door? She was sure she had got the time right, she had double and triple checked the date and was certain this was the right house. 'Probably rehearsing his lines for his proposal speech' she thought giddily and squealed with excitement. Then the door swung open. _

"_Siri!" she gasped, her eyes widening as she took his appearance in, "honey are you okay?" _

_He certainly didn't look his usual best. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink last night judging by the dark circles under his eyes. He was wearing a creased black suit with half the buttons done up on the shirt, the same suit he wore the day before. 'It must have been to that wedding he was going to,' Loretta thought, and fought back a smirk sliding across her lips, 'clearly had too much to drink!' _

"_Never better," he said bitterly, and gestured with his hand to come in._

_She shot him a million dollar smile and left a wet kiss on his cheek, before bouncing through the hallway into the kitchen._

"_So this is the Ancient House of Black?" she asked, staring up at the heads of house elves stuck on the walls with great interest. _

_He didn't answer her. Instead, he buried his head in the fridge and re-emerged a few seconds later clasping a bottle of firewhiskey. He opened it with his teeth and spat the lid in the sink carelessly. _

"_I have something to say, you'd better sit down." _

_Loretta nodded, and practically skipped to the chair and perched upon the edge rather like an eager puppy awaiting a bone. She wasn't concerned about Sirius's cold behaviour, he usually acted like this when he was hung over. _

_Sirius sighed and took a swig from the bottle before looking at her, "I'm not the man you think I am… the man you have known is a broken one, the man you are talking to is broken one," he said heavily, "you don't know me…"_

_Loretta was taken aback for a minute before exclaiming, "That's ridiculous! Of course I do!" _

_He shook his head, "you don't." _

_When she was just about to open her mouth and reply, he cut across her smiling, "I have a three year old son – a little boy," he beamed, "and – and I want to be the best dad to him I can be. I want to give him all the love and affection my beloved parents failed to give me, so I can't be with you anymore."_

_She was speechless. He had a son? How come he had never mentioned this before? And who on Earth was the mother?_

"_B-but, who's the mother of your child?" she retorted incredulously, her eyes narrowed, "it's not …" _

"_Hermione," he said firmly. _

_Her name sent a fluttery tingle down his spine just saying it. _

_She looked thunderstruck. "HER!" she screeched, "But why didn't you tell me before?" she was shrieking now, "it's been two years and you have failed to mention that you have A SON? DID THAT TINY, INSIGNIFICANT DETAIL SLIP YOUR MIND?" _

_She was staring at him so hysterically that Sirius had to observe his feet to stop himself from laughing, not at her reaction, but at the situation in general. Sometimes in tricky situations in life you need to see the funny side, like when he was arrested and taken away to Azkaban for instance. He was laughing his head off, and that situation was beyond tricky! _

_He swallowed his mouthful of firewhiskey before he choked on it and cleared his throat, "well I only found out the other day, so don't blame me for the late informant." _

_He nearly laughed again. _

"_This is because of HER isn't it? Hermione! Why can't you stay with me and still be a good dad to your son? It's not impossible! It's because of her!" _

_Sirius was sick of arguing with women. He had been through a battle with one yesterday and the hurt he was living with was something he felt he would never recover from. He hadn't meant to hurt anyone, but it turns out in trying not to had meant that he had hurt both Hermione AND Loretta AND himself in the process. How did this happen? _

"_Yes it's all because of Hermione… everything," he shut his eyes as if an image of her floated across his mind, "I'm in love with her and always have been and – merlin – I always will be," he shook himself out of his trance. "beautiful witch."_

_Loretta screamed with fury, half sobbing, half choking on her own tongue it seemed. She was no cuter than a raging bull. _

"_WHAT'S SHE GOT THAT I HAVEN'T?" _

_Sirius mouth dropped in alarm. Was she really going down this road? Oh God help him. _

"_Er – well, a lot more books that's for sure…" he said, biting back a howl of laughter. He caught her reeling expression and raised his hands in surrender, "I-I don't think this is necessary really! I'm sorry – really I am, I never meant to hurt you… and I realise that I probably shouldn't have mentioned that I've been in love with another witch while we were together, but I'm not going to lie anymore! I'm trying to be a good person here! I never meant to upset anyone!" _

"_WELL YOU DID!" she bellowed, and like shot, grabbed her wand. _

Sirius was picked up by an invisible hand and thrown powerfully against the brick wall, knocking him virtually unconscious. The abnormally large lump on Sirius's head hadn't healed even now, a week later. The stunning spell that Loretta had hit him with was a very unique one, for no one was able to come up with a counter curse for it – not even Mrs Weasley and Fred and George were her sons!

But Sirius didn't care.

His throbbing head pain was nothing compared to the constant aching in his chest. He longed for her like rain in a drought. And it was only now that he fully understood the lyrics to 'Killing Me Softly'. In fact, Sirius felt as though he could relate to every heartbroken song ever written.

Sometimes he wondered if she was actually trying to kill him. She was a wicked witch.

He could feel Moony lightly shaking his shoulder to get him to sit up at the breakfast table.

"Sirius? Sirius sit up old friend."

Sirius remained slumped over, raking his hands through his hair in a self-pitying splendour.

"I need a drink," he mumbled against the wood surface.

Remus patted him on the back, "yes – yes of course," he flicked the kettle on with his wand, and a few minutes later placed a steaming cup of tea in front of him. "There you go, Pads."

Sirius heaved himself up and against his chair, squinting at the drink. He grimaced.

"I was thinking something much stronger, Moony."

"And what good would drinking away your pain do? And besides, you need to stay sober for when she brings Albert round, can't be looking after your son with a load of alcohol in you now can you?"

Sirius's mouth dropped. "He's – he's coming _round_? But I didn't know! She brings him round whenever, it's never planned…"

"I sent her an owl and asked her if you could take him today. She agreed," Remus said casually, taking a sip from his tea. He had to swallow it quickly for fear of choking as Sirius abruptly stood from his chair and threw his arms around him in a bone crunching hug.

"Thank you Remus, thank you!" he grinned and sighed contentedly, "I'm spending a day with my boy!"

"Yes," Remus said, "but Sirius, you will be seeing _her_ as well. Don't you think you need to shower and clean yourself up a bit? You don't look the best, and if you want to win her back…"

"You're right," Sirius nodded, and clapped him on the back before racing out into the hall and up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later there was a knock at the door. Remus dropped the Daily Prophet he was reading and scrambled from the table, running to answer the door.<p>

Sirius was still upstairs getting ready. He cursed him under his breath for missing her arrival as he opened the door.

Hermione was standing on the step looking wonderfully windswept with her wild locks cascading down her back and rosy cheeks.

Tiny Albert was snuggled to her chest, wide eyed and adorable as ever.

Remus couldn't help but smile at his resemblance to Sirius; you only had to glance at them for a second to see they were father and son.

"Hello Hermione," Remus said warmly, gesturing her inside, "come in, come in! And how is this little man?"

"Good!" the boy yelled in response, grinning excitedly as his mum lowered him to the floor.

He immediately charged down the hall into the kitchen, his coat half off as he struggled to shake his arms out. Hermione threw an apologetic look at Remus when Albert dived under the table and crawled around the chair legs like a soldier.

"Where's my little cheeky monkey?" a deep voice boomed from the landing on the first floor.

Hermione, startled, glanced up as Sirius strolled down the stairs, buttoning up his shirt and whipping his damp hair out of his eyes. He was freshly showered, his goatee trimmed and clean clothed and the masculine scent of him filling her nostrils. Hermione fought herself not to drew breath. He was the recipe of a delicious meal, and she was sure he was showing himself off to get back at her – a 'look what you're missing' message shining through him which left Hermione mentally kicking herself.

Albert reappeared from under the table almost instantly, laying on his tummy on the kitchen floor, his eyes wide with interest and his curly hair tousled cutely on his head. He stilled as if waiting for someone to appear.

Sirius popped his head around the corner and Albert's face lit up so brightly you'd have thought it was Christmas.

"_DADDY!_" he roared, scrambling from the floor. He hurtled towards him, his little legs sprinting as fast as they could.

Sirius barked with laughter as his son slammed into his leg, his tiny fists clenched into balls as he pulled on his jeans, wishing to be picked up.

"Come here little fella," Sirius chuckled, bending down and scooping him up, he brushed his hair off his forehead and kissed him lovingly before his eyes settled on the witch in front of him.

He swallowed as he looked at her; taking in her effortlessly ravishing appearance but at the same time trying to push it out of his mind.

Seeing her but not being with her was nothing but torture.

He tried to smile but had a feeling it came out more as a wince.

"Hello," he said hoarsely.

She flashed him a brilliant grin that turned his legs to jelly.

"Hi."

"How…" he swallowed again, "how have you been?"

"Erm, very well thank you. You?"

"Good. Yeah – yeah, fine."

He heard Remus stifle a laugh and he shot him a deathly glare. Fine was being a tad dishonest.

"I'll pick Al up about 10pm okay? I'm going out for dinner with Oliv-" she blushed furiously and dropped her eyes to the floor. "I mean... I'm going out for dinner."

Sirius ignored the pang in his heart by cuddling the tiny toddler tightly in his arms and ruffling his curly black locks - which were rather wild for a three year old.

"Right. Have fun," he said bitterly before turning on his heel and disappearing into the drawing room, tossing Albert in the air as he did so and wishing he'd kept his mouth shut.

Hermione and Remus exchanged looks.

"Sorry about him," Remus said quietly, "he's just – er – well…"

He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"I'd better go anyway, I'm meeting Tonks at the Leaky Cauldron," he said, kissing her politely on the cheek. "Have a good evening Hermione."

"You too," she smiled and gestured to the drawing room Sirius had just entered. "I'm just going to say goodbye to Albert."

Remus nodded understandingly and Hermione hurried through the door.

Sirius had Albert dangling upside down, laughing as the toddler's chest rose and fell with exhilarating giggles.

Sirius did a double take when he saw her and his laughter faded to silence as he turned Albert the right way up and brought him towards his chest to calm him down.

"Al aren't you going to say goodbye to mummy?" she said in a mock hurt voice, "she is going now."

Albert nodded and Sirius walked slowly over to her, holding his breath as Hermione leant in to kiss their son on the temple and softly stroke his hair.

"You be a good boy for daddy," her eyes flickered to Sirius's - who was already looking at her - and back again. "No Bourbon biscuits. You've had five today already."

Sirius and Hermione shared warm smiles as Albert made a whining sound in his arms.

* * *

><p>"Are you ready babe?" Oliver called from the sofa where he sat impatiently waiting for her to finish her make up.<p>

"Yes!" Hermione replied, taking one last look in the mirror before turning to face him, "do I look okay?"

Oliver raised his eyebrows impressively, "Wow! You look good enough to eat!" he enthused, kissed her chastely, "now come on, dinner reservations are at 8."

Hermione frowned at Oliver amusedly, unsure whether to think of Oliver's comment as a compliment or not. The thought skipped out of her mind as she allowed Oliver yanked her possessively out the door.

The couple were going to a posh restaurant in London. They rarely went out for dinner, usually they ordered take away to the flat and ate it watching a film or Hermione would cook a homemade dinner from her mother's recipe book; but when he found out that Albert would be spending the day at his father's, Oliver insisted that they cease the chance and treat themselves to a romantic meal.

"Goodness! This place is lovely!" Hermione gushed, staring around the room in awe.

The only lights in the room were candles on the tables, meaning that it was dark yet in a way oddly exotic. Even in the dim light she could tell it was packed; the diners all seemed to be couples sitting intimately at tables and squinting to see what food they were stabbing blindly with their fork.

A waiter introduced himself to them and showed them to their table.

"Can we have a bottle of your finest red wine?" Oliver asked, "We're celebrating."

The waiter bowed and walked away.

"What are we celebrating?" Hermione said bemusedly when the waiter was out of earshot.

Oliver grinned, "Well you know, it's our first night out since I don't know how long… and that's a big thing! Of course it's a cause for celebration!"

Hermione smiled - perhaps a little too fake. She had a feeling Oliver was side stepping the real answer here, for she could read him rather well. His words sounded as though they were hastily joint together in a rush a few seconds before. The waiter returned with wine in a bucket filled with ice and Oliver clapped his hands together excitedly. What the bloody hell was he up to?

* * *

><p>"No Al you can't watch that!" Sirius breathed, struggling to hold in his laughter which was shaking his body as he assisted Albert in picking a film to watch. He placed one of Remus's 'adult' films back on the shelf, making a mental note to tell Remus to hide it next time his three year old son came round.<p>

"This one!" Albert said firmly, picking up a particularly gory movie and waving it in his hand.

Sirius shook his head as he laughed, "no you tiger! You can't watch that either!"

Albert pulled the innocent puppy dog look as he whined, "but why daddy?"

Sirius took the DVD from him and tucked it out of view before lifting him up easily and throwing him over his shoulder. Albert burst into a fit of giggles and clutched onto a fistful of his dad's long hair which was the exact shade of black-brown as his own.

"Don't you pull that look at me mister!" he grinned, tickling his neck, "your dad was the inventor of that look!" he kissed him on the head before stomping up the stairs, "let's read a bed-time story shall we?"

"THE THREE LITTLE PIGS!" Albert shouted happily.

* * *

><p>Three courses later and Oliver and Hermione were pleasantly full. The starter, main and desert had been delicious, and they couldn't have asked for better service. Hermione, a little tipsy on the amount of wine she had consumed, announced to Oliver that he had better have been paying for the meal, for it was his idea to take them out anyway.<p>

"Of course I'm paying!" Oliver chortled, "And I will always pay. I hope this will be the first of many years of amazing meals together."

Hermione shook her head, "what are you talking about?"

Oliver laughed softly and rose from his chair, and to Hermione's utter horror slowly dropped to one knee in front of her. She felt as though her heart had stopped beating, for she couldn't breathe, hell, she couldn't _feel _anything, not even when Oliver had grasped her hand and intertwined their fingers. Surely she was dreaming this.

And then he spoke.

Damn. So much for dreaming.

"Hermione Jean Granger, I love you more than Quidditch," Oliver declared, clearly having rehearsed these lines over in his head, "and Quidditch is a man's one true love. I love you and I don't want anyone else. You make me happy. And you will make me the happiest man alive if you become my wife… so what I'm asking is…"

He placed a kiss on her hand which she couldn't feel.

"W_ill you marry me?_"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Sirius or Oliver? Hope you enjoyed. I know I did, perhaps too much than is normal. But hey. Cheers guys. You rock. **_


	6. She Deserves Happiness

_A/N: A few people have asked me what bourbon biscuits are. In England bourbon biscuits are chocolate cookies, and they are scrumptious. So if you come over here try them out, you'll know what I mean! I was getting very concerned when people were reviewing asking me why Hermione was giving her three year old son alcohol...!_

__Thank you for the reviews too. You make me smile heaps xD__

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 6 – She Deserves Happiness<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Where the bloody hell have you been 'Mione?" Sirius cried, his grey eyes swarming with concern, "It's twelve o'clock! I was gonna come out and look for you! I was so worried – god woman - don't do that to me again!"<p>

Hermione didn't process what he said at first, she couldn't look him. She wasn't frightened, just numb and drowsy from the wine. She wobbled slightly as she stood on the step of Grimmauld Place and leant against the door frame to steady her. Why was he staring at her so worriedly? Yes, she was a bit tipsy, but she had managed to walk all the way from the restaurant to here and managed it hadn't she?

"Sorry…" she murmured, still avoiding his eyes, "I-I had to walk here."

She said it more to herself than to Sirius, as if she had just remembered she had done so. "

"It took me longer than I thought."

He stared at her exasperatedly and took her hand gently in his before tugging her into the house. Once they were inside, he shut the door firmly and looked at her again.

"Why didn't you apparate?"

Hermione began fiddling with the hem of her dress to pass the tension, faintly aware that he was still holding her hand and staring a hole through her head. She knew where this conversation was going to go, she knew that she had to tell him that Oliver had proposed, and she knew that eventually she would have to tell him her answer.

Sirius was going to go barking mad.

Excuse the pun.

"I couldn't concentrate on the destination so I… walked," she said quietly.

"Why couldn't you concentrate?" he demanded, slightly more aggressively than he had intended.

Hermione scowled at him and crossed her arms; she wasn't going to tell him anything if he continued to be so hot-headed. Sirius realised how he must have sounded and immediately softened, squeezing her hand by way of apology.

He cleared his throat and tried again. "What's wrong, love? What's upset you?"

He seemed genuinely worried.

She snapped her head up and met his eyes, "how do you know I'm upset? I'm not upset I'm just … so – so _frustrated_ at the world and _frustrated_ at myself and _frustrated_ at everyone even though it's no one's fault but mine that I got in this situation and oh GOD I'm just so… so _**angry!**_"

Sirius pulled her into a tight cuddle to end her rant and try and calm her down. She was pressed firmly against his chest, her head on his shoulder and his hand rubbing her back soothingly. He was whispering something deep into her ear that she couldn't process, and she found that it didn't calm her at all; in fact, it made her so nervous she was trembling. She was clueless as to why Sirius had such an effect on her.

Her question was answered as soon as their skin touched.

Their bodies moulded so well together. It was like two slotting pieces of a puzzle. Goose bumps rippled across her body as his lips brushed her cheek, and she bit back a smile at the feel of his scratchy goatee tickling her. She could feel his warm breath against her neck and it made her want to sink to the ground and pull him on top of her, but she stopped herself.

He interlaced their fingers, and she bit back a sob at how perfectly their hands fitted, even though hers was small and his was big. His body stiffened for second and she pulled back to look at him curiously. Sirius was staring at their hands, at their linked fingers.

Her heart was hammering rapidly against her bosom, fearing that he had seen what she thought he had. She followed his eyes to what he was looking at.

There, twinkling innocently in the black of the hallway and shining through the two compressed bodies was_ a small, delicate diamond ring on her finger. _

She could feel his eyes burning into her head, and even though she wasn't looking at him, she knew what he must be thinking. Her eyes slowly rose to meet his, brown and grey and nothing else for what felt like forever. His eyes were leaking with hurt, anger and something unreadable, and piercing into hers so intently she felt as though her soul was bared naked to him.

It was only in that moment that she realised the extent of her actions, how one word could change a life time of not one but tons of people, the consequences that we never think of and a million other things that swam around her head like a violent storm at sea. She had to go. It wasn't the Gryffindor way to run, but Hermione had never been an expert when it came to men.

She shoved him away from her and stepped back, briefly remembering how she had done the same thing at Harry and Ginny's wedding those two weeks ago.

"Oliver asked me to marry him and I said yes!" she blurted loudly, swivelling on the spot and running hurriedly up the stairs to find Albert. She knew it wasn't the best way to tell the father of her child that she was marrying another man, but still she ran. She was terrified to see Sirius's expression. She wanted to banish him from her mind and running away from him seemed sensible.

She flung open all the doors on the first floor to see if Albert was sleeping in any of them, his tiny body buried in the duvets of a king size bed.

He wasn't in the first three.

Her mind was spinning. Her head pounding with mounting panic, terrified of hearing the thumping of his footsteps up the stairs, shouting the house down and tearing it down in his path.

"Sirius which room is Albert in?"

She reached the bedroom her and Ginny shared in the summer of her fifth year and kicked it open desperately. She wanted to get out of this house as quick as possible; the need to leave was so great it was like trying to resist the urge to itch fifty mosquito bites.

As soon as she turned her attention to the room in front of her, the feeling disappeared like it had never existed.

Her eyes washed over the light red walls and the photographs scattered over them, narrowing her eyes as she stepped closer to get a better look. There was a picture of Sirius and Albert taken at Harry and Ginny's wedding; Sirius was crouching on the floor, beaming with pride at the little toddler standing in between his knees in miniature dress robes and giggling at something his daddy had just said. It was astonishing how alike they were.

Hermione felt her heart warm and eyes water with the threat of tears. It amazed her how much she was crying recently, it seemed a day didn't pass where she didn't lunge for the tissues about something. And yet, somehow it didn't surprise her when it seemed it was always Sirius who made her upset.

God, he was _infuriating._

Her eyes skimmed over the next picture. It was another taken at the wedding, and this time it was of her, Sirius and Albert. Obviously they hadn't realised a picture was being taken, as it was taken from side-on and they never looked at the camera; but Hermione could tell instantly it was when Sirius had first met his son. He was running a shaky hand through his unkempt locks as he walked up to them, his eyes lingering over the boy in his mum's arms…

"He's been out for three hours." A deep voice said from behind her.

Hermione didn't have to turn around; she could feel him move to stand next to her, his hand gesturing to the cot in the corner.

Sirius had enchanted the ceiling so that instead of red paint there were moons and stars and the glimmerings of planets above them so that Albert could see the beautiful sky as he lay in his cot. Hermione remembered Sirius saying she was more beautiful than the moon and stars to him. She swallowed and averted her attention to the music filling her ears - Sirius had charmed the record player to play soft piano ballads too so Albert could easily slip into dream land.

It was at times like this she remembered why she had fallen in love with him in the first place. Sirius Black was full of surprises.

Hermione approached the cot and peered over to see her son sleeping soundly, tucked cosily in a Quidditch coated blanket and clutching onto a cuddly toy in the shape of a black dog. She laughed quietly into the back of her hand and swooped down to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead before turning to face Sirius, who was watching her with those grey smoky eyes that could melt butter with one glance.

"You – you decorated this room for him?" she asked.

He nodded solemnly, and shoved his hands deep in his pockets in a 'it was nothing' kind of way.

She stared around the room with her mouth agape for a few more seconds, taking in the immense transformation from when she stayed in the damp and dark room those many years ago. It was impossible that it had been the same room.

Her eyes fell back on her son, sleeping so perfectly, his tiny stomach rising and falling as he slept. She didn't have it in her to move him when he looked so peaceful.

"He can stay here the night," Hermione decided, "he looks so comfortable already… I'll – I'll collect him in the morning, or Remus can bring him round."

He didn't reply for a while.

Finally, he nodded and led the way back down the stairs, stopping at the front door. Hermione caught him staring at the ring on her finger again, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he did so. She got the impression that he was biting his tongue to stop himself from saying something. She shook her head feebly and sighed. He didn't understand – maybe no one would but herself. She wanted to be happy, she wanted to do the right thing by everyone and agreeing to be Oliver Wood's wife was the best option for that. He respected her and treated her like a princess, he was wonderful with Albert, ever so patient and seemed to genuinely care about his wellbeing, and that is all she needed, someone who cared about her and her boy and wasn't a bastard to her like Sirius had been...

Maybe Sirius did love her as much as he said he did, maybe he didn't mean any of the things he had said to Charlie Weasley on that night that changed everything, and maybe she loved him back; but the few weeks of pain Sirius had apparently suffered without her was nothing compared to the three years she had gone without him. If she was certain of anything, it's that she deserves to be happy and not treated like some slutty whore with no feelings.

"Good night Sirius," she said, and with a fleeting look in his direction, stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

He heard her clinking footsteps descend down the stone steps and across the cobbled street and slowly fade into the air. When he was sure she'd gone, he let out a strangled yell into his hands and fell to his knees on the floor. She was killing him, and the ring on her damn finger was the nail in his coffin. If she married Oliver, he knew he'd be driven mad with bitterness and despair.

_She was meant to be with him!_

How long must it take for her to see that?

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: ... I know. I'm an evil cow. **__**Leave a review with your very probable rant. It's better out than in! **_


	7. Two Passing Ships At Sea

**Chapter 7 – Two Passing Ships At Sea**

* * *

><p><em><strong>(A month and a half later)<strong>_

Hermione Granger and Oliver Wood were to be married in two months time, on the 15th August. They had already decided on the venue; they had rented out Felixstowe beach and pier for the day. Mrs Weasley said it was a load of unnecessary expenses because the Burrow was always open to them, and as it was becoming a bit of a tradition for friends and family to get married there (Harry and Ginny, Bill and Fleur), it seemed like the perfect option. Maybe it was the perfect option for Mrs Weasley, but not for Hermione. She wasn't getting married into the Weasley family, as inevitable as that seemed. She was marrying a Quidditch player, and they both agreed they wanted their ceremony to commence in the fresh air, where they could see the sky, the sea and hear the waves crashing against the sand.

Everyone had given the couple their blessing and were thrilled to finally see their Hermione going down the aisle. Ginny was beside herself with happiness and was quickly turning scarily similar to her mother when discussing wedding plans; when the only female Weasley women were huddled together organising the big day, Hermione remained silent simply for the reason that once those two fiery redheads had agreed on something, it was practically law. Harry and Ron were also incredibly pleased for her, as well as rather amused.

"_Sure you're up for all that Quidditch talk Hermione? He really can get quite obsessive," Harry said, catching Ron's eye and grinning. _

"_Of course I am!" she retorted, "I have him well trained!" _

Though as she turned away from her best friends, she imagined having to sit through a ten minute commentary everyday about a sport she had no interest in from her husband-to-be.

She couldn't help but cringe at the thought.

Some people weren't as thrilled as others at the news however; she could tell Remus had slid on a fake smile when she gave him the wedding invitation personally, but he was too polite to act like he wasn't happy for her.

Hermione wasn't offended by his reaction at all. Not everyone would approve of their somewhat unexpected engagement, and especially not the best friend and fellow Marauder of Sirius. She suspected that Remus had known of Sirius's apparent feelings for her and felt he needed to protect him in some way, which she could understand. She would be the same with Harry and Ron if they were being hurt.

* * *

><p>Remus breathed in and knocked tentatively on the door, bracing himself for a bark of 'fuck off Moony!' or 'I told you the first time-!" but surprisingly there was silence.<p>

His friend had locked himself in his room for weeks and weeks now, only leaving to go to the toilet or collect food from downstairs, and most of the time Remus would bring it up for him anyway. He would only shower and make himself look presentable when Albert spent the day at Grimmauld Place, and Remus knew he only did it because he'd be seeing Hermione again, even if only for a few minutes when she dropped Albert off. She never stopped to chat. She would be gone with a peck on the cheek to Al and a fleeting wave to no one imparticular and then wouldn't see her until the evening where he received the same treatment.

They were like passing ships at sea.

Sirius had totally shut himself off from everyone and everything that ever mattered to him.

Remus could associate this Sirius with the Sirius in his lifetime before he died and fell into the Veil. It was the time in the Shrieking Shack after escaping Azkaban. He was like a dead corpse, floating around carelessly, mad at the world and never truly escaping the prison in his mind because Peter Pettigrew was alive and unscathed and wholesome and Sirius was a lost soul and had endured a lifetime of bad luck. His life back then was driven by the fact that Peter was alive and so was Harry, his Godson. And now his life was driven by Hermione, the Queen of his heart and their adorable son, Albert.

Remus had tried consoling Sirius in his grief, but he was ignored like everyone else. He preferred to numb his pain with firewhisky, cloud his thoughts with cigar smoke until he passed out and slept for hours on end, and then the cycle would start again.

In these times, he spoke no more than a few words when he did choose to answer a question, yet that was it. It was like it was a chore for him to open his mouth and speak. His voice sounded dead and expressionless and raspy from lack of use, and he only ever smiled when he saw Albert, which was once a week. Remus didn't even think Sirius would bother attending Harry's birthday party the following Saturday (which was probably best).

The man didn't know whether he was coming or going; he didn't know which day was which, his sleeping clock was completely backward and the only moments he was sober was in the company of his son.

Something had to be done to save Sirius from _himself_.

Remus knocked on the door again more urgently this time.

He pressed his ear against the black wood of the door and listened intently for movement, but nothing could be heard. Thinking the worst, Remus barged the door open and was thrown into complete darkness as he stumbled in the bedroom which reeked of firewhisky and stale cigarettes. It could easily have been Mundungus's room. Nearly tripping up on part of a dislodged bookshelf, Remus proceeded towards the double bed which he noticed a motionless Sirius stretched out on flat on his face, his untamed locks falling wildly around his head and his limbs sprawled uncomfortably on the mattress giving the impression that he had most probably passed out drunk.

Again.

"Sirius?" Remus said, shaking his shoulder in order to wake him up.

He didn't move a muscle.

Remus shook him more violently.

"Sirius!"

_Nothing._

Remus cursed Sirius under his breath repeatedly for being such a pain in the arse. Even if he was his best friend, he was such a stubborn git.

At a loss for what else to do, he picked up a heavy leather book lying open and face down on the floor and picked it up. He smiled as he thought up a simple but effective plan to have Sirius awake. He snapped the book shut and gripped it with two hands as he raised it high in the air, before letting it slip from his fingers and drop with a thud on the sleeping Sirius's head.

Most normal people who had just been awoken with a heavy book to the head would bolt upright, terrified out of their skin. Not Sirius, though. He grudgingly raised an arm to scratch his head and shift his head up so he could see who had disturbed him in his deep slumber.

He snarled when he squinted at Remus.

"Moony you crackpot! Get out!" he snarled, burying his head of hair back into the pillow.

"No," Remus said firmly, "we need to sort you out Sirius. What the hell has happened to you? Look at yourself! It's pathetic-!"

"I KNOW!" he snapped, "I'm pathetic! I'm pathetic and I don't give a shit! So leave me be, Remus. Go."

"No," Remus said again, "I will not. You can't drown your sorrows for the rest of your days, Sirius. When Herm-"

"_DON'T SAY HER NAME!_" he roared, finally bolting upright.

Remus sighed heavily, "fine. When _she _marries Oliver you're life isn't over, as much as you think it is. You have a son, you can't live like this – away from everyone… you need to think of Albert… of Harry…"

"I am thinking of them! All the time! And that just reminds me of her again – our son, her best friend… everything reminds me of her… oh God… I-I fucking hate her for doing this to me!"

Remus rolled his eyes at his friend; he could read him like a book.

"You don't mean that."

Sirius scowled and clutched his hair in tight fists.

"You're right, of course I don't," he looked up at Remus helplessly, "How could I ever hate that woman? I love her so much…"

"Well then you need to tell her before it's too late!"

Sirius sprang onto his feet in seconds, his arms flying carelessly around him.

"What do you think I've been doing?" he cried, "the amount of times I have told her I love her and she just dismisses it as if it means nothing!"

Remus rested a firm hand on his friend's shoulder, and patted him softly until he had calmed down. He didn't want to have to tell Sirius what he was about to say, truly he didn't, but he knew it was best for everyone. He couldn't see Hermione backing out of the wedding now that it was so near and that would only make Sirius feel worse about himself that she was going along with it.

"Padfoot old friend, you need to get away. Take Buckbeak or Witherwings or whatever the hippogriff is called, and go someplace nice, away from here."

Remus caught Sirius's 'are you mad?' expression and shook his head.

"If you've already told her you love her and she is still acting the way she is then-" he cleared his throat and dropped his eyes to the floor, "I think you need to accept that she will marry Oliver, and she doesn't want to be with you."

Sirius stared at him for a minute or two and slumped his shoulders.

He looked more exhausted than Remus had ever seen him. He had lost six years on his age being in the Veil, instead of being a 42 year old he was a very young looking 36 year old, but even his youthful looks didn't cover the weariness of his eyes or the sunken skull of his cheeks from his new lifestyle of drinking, smoking and barely eating. Even though the thought of Hermione being with anyone else but him made his stomach lurch and his eyes sting, he knew Remus was right. He had to accept that Hermione didn't love him.

Oh God, she didn't love him!

His fist was clenched so hard his knuckles were white; his heart was breaking again…

"What about Al?" he choked out hoarsely, "I'm not not seeing my boy. No bloody way."

"I'll bring him to you once or twice a week. Hermione won't argue with that."

Sirius finally nodded, and headed straight for his wardrobe and began throwing shirts and trousers on his bed. "If I'm going, I'm going now… otherwise I won't be able to leave."

Remus threw a huge suitcase onto the king size bed and began to help him gather up his things.

"You're doing the right thing mate," Remus said, pulling a disgusted face as he chucked a pair of Sirius dirty boxers over his shoulder.

Sirius merely grunted and accio'd a picture frame from one of the other rooms in the house, he caught it as it flew through the door and swiftly pocketed it in his jacket before Remus could look up.

"Can you give this to her for me please?" he picked up a sealed envelope from the bedside table.

The letter had ''Mione' inked across the front in an elegant scrawl.

Remus took it.

"I wrote it a few days ago," Sirius explained, "Only give it to her if she asks where I am. And er-" he pushed his shaggy hair out of his eyes nervously, "don't read it."

Remus chuckled bemusedly and watched his friend fling the last few objects into his suitcase before zipping it shut and slinging it over his shoulder lazily. He stopped in front of him, and held out his hand and Remus shook it, their handshake finishing in a twiddle of their fingers and a slamming of their fists. It was the Marauders handshake.

"Take care, Pads." Remus smiled as they man-hugged.

When they broke apart, Sirius punched him playfully on the shoulder, "thanks mate, you too. Look out for my Al."

* * *

><p><em><strong>(One month later)<strong>_

Hermione was sitting on the ledge of her bedroom window at the Burrow, her forehead pressed against the cold glass as she looked out across the stretch of green fields and streams of Ottery St. Catchpole. It was half past nine in the evening, and around the time when the sun bid it's goodnights and disappeared; Hermione would always sit up at the window and watch the sun set, the orangey pastel flames contrasting to the misty sky. It was so beautiful and calming.

Lately she had to be calmed down a lot. She was getting stressed out of things that even Mrs Weasley wouldn't bat an eyelid over. Losing a book she had for years… not having her favourite cereal for breakfast… She supposed it was all part of getting married. Your wedding day was supposedly one of the best days of your life, but right now Hermione couldn't help but dread it. Oliver was becoming increasingly irritating; he was forever creeping up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and enthusing about the wedding day that was looming over her like some infectious disease. She would force a smile and nod her head, not listening to a word he was saying whatsoever. He didn't seem to know when enough was enough and to steer clear of her. Cormac McLaggen's clinginess was tame compared to Oliver's. Although she felt sickened at herself for doing so, she would apparate whenever she heard his voice booming through the house calling for her – and it didn't matter where, as long as she was away from the confines of that house and dare she say it… away from him. She would apparate to the Forest of Dean a lot, wrap herself in a thick blanket and lay against a tree like she would with Harry on their search for Horcruxes, and forget about the world and the life that was mapped out ahead of her.

"Hermione?" said a voice, pulling her out of her own little world momentarily, "what are you doing?"

Hermione looked around absentmindedly and saw Ginny looking at her questioningly with her eyebrows raised.

"I was just - you know – thinking," Hermione rushed, her cheeks warming for being caught staring out the window like some gawping idiot.

"About what?" she asked, flopping herself on the bed and crossing her legs, "I'm all ears."

"I don't know…" she glanced at Ginny and swallowed nervously, "do you – do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

"About…?"

"Oliver. Getting married."

Ginny cocked her head to the side for a minute as she contemplated what her friend had just said.

"That depends if you are happy. Are you happy Hermione?"

"Of course!" she spluttered incredulously, "how can you say such a-"

"I mean really happy Hermione. You should be so excited for the wedding - nervous yeah - but excited about spending the rest of your life with Oliver and not thinking about other people."

Hermione met her eyes and Ginny looked pointedly at her.

"Are you thinking about Sirius?"

Hermione breathed out the breath she didn't know she was holding in.

"NO!" she huffed defensively, "why would I? The only connection I have with him is that he's the father of my child. I _haven't_ been thinking about him!"

Ginny rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "You've always been rubbish at lying Hermione!"

Hermione's cheeks flushed if possible, even redder.

Okay, so she had been thinking about Sirius a little… but not _that_ much. She couldn't exactly not think about him; she was reminded of rebellious, shaggy haired and handsome man whenever she looked at her son.

"It's just because I haven't seen him in a month… He wasn't at Harry's birthday party…Remus has been collecting Albert from our flat once or twice a week and then taking him to Sirius. I don't want to ask Remus where he is, because what if he is still at Grimmauld Place and is just making Remus coming to collect Al because he doesn't want to see me?"

Hermione recalled the time she opened her door to Remus smiling pleasantly, announcing that he would be taking Albert to Sirius from now on. She didn't ask questions, just nodded and handed Albert over, reminding him to bring Al back at 10pm as usual.

She remembered how her heart sank. It was a feeling that didn't subside even now.

"Do you miss him?" Ginny's voice spoke quietly, interrupting her trail of thought.

Hermione stared out the window again, at the last glimpse of the golden sun and instantly knew the answer to her question.

"No."

Ginny opened her mouth to retort but Hermione cut across her.

"Missing him is the biggest understatement ever."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: WOOOO nice long chapter there, I hope you enjoyed it! I'm so very excited about writing the next chapter. Hermione finally gets her own back on a certain red head… won't say no more here, but he'll regret ever messing with the HERMIONE GRANGER! Drop me **__**a review and thank you all so so so much!**_


	8. Hermione's Revenge

**Chapter 8 – Hermione's Revenge**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sunday 31<strong>__**st**__** July **_

_**3:42am**_

_Six weeks have passed since I saw her. How the fuck did I go three years? It is beyond me. Albert spent the day with me yesterday, I taught him how to fly on his mini broomstick just like I did with Harry when he was small. The little boy will be an amazing flier just like his old man. I bought him a mini leather jacket as well for when he rides on my motorbike in the passenger seat. He loves it. He was roaring his head off! When Remus came to pick him up I didn't think I had the strength to pass him over. No one fucking understands. I'm living for that one day in seven that I spend with him. I keep praying to whoever's out there to give me some luck in my life, it is way overdue. I want to be a family. We'd be a proper one. Hermione, Albert and me. It would brighten my soul and fill me up with happiness from the depths of my despairing heart. Please, someone fucking listen to me… _

_**Monday 8**__**th**__** August**_

_**11:17pm**_

_I've been in and out of consciousness since I last wrote in here. I didn't even think I drank that much… I just wash it down like its water now. I had to check the Daily Prophet to remember what the bloody date was. She's getting married to that Scottish Quidditch maniac in a week. 7 fucking days. I might crash the wedding, pounce on the prick and break both his legs and then scratch out his eyes. You know. Just a thought. OR I could trick Remus into forgetting his Wolfsbane potion and send him to rip the barstard apart limb for limb…_

_Actually, no. That is fucking nasty even by my standards. _

_**Sunday 13**__**th**__** August**_

_**9:30am**_

_Remus just dropped Al round. He's sitting on my lap now, trying to get hold of the Quill. I'm grinning like a fucking idiot. Moony told me that Al's been saying swear words back at home with his mum who is obviously convinced I have been saying them in front of him. I've said one. _

_I think. _

_I asked Moony as well if Mione has asked where I am yet, he said she hasn't. I thought my head was gonna split with frustration. She needs to get that letter. She has to. I will never live with myself if she doesn't. _

_Anyway, I'm off. I'm taking Al to the pub. It's a dad's duty. Oliver is not being the first to do that, otherwise I WILL gift wrap Moony as a werewolf and send him to that bagpiping Scottish twat. _

* * *

><p>Hermione trudged out the front door of her and Oliver's flat and kicked it shut behind her. She welcomed the soft breeze that tickled her face and made her hair swirl as she bounced down the steps and headed off to the apparition point at the end of the street. The August sun was shining pleasantly on her face. She was feeling more content than usual today; primarily down to the fact that Oliver had a big match coming up that evening against the Wimborne Wasps which he was determinedly training all day for. Hermione squealed with happiness when Oliver owled her and said that he wasn't going to be home until the next morning. It was wrong, but she found that she didn't care in the slightest. She was going to become his wife in two short, short days, so she deserved time away from him now.<p>

She reached the end of the road and apparated to The Burrow where she was spending the majority of her time. When she opened her eyes, she was standing in the kitchen of the cosy house.

Surprisingly, it was empty.

"Gin?" she called as she began to walk from room to room, "where are you?"

No response. Hermione's feet followed the hallway round to the winding, rickety staircase. In all the years of visiting the Burrow, she had never arrived there to an empty house. It was usually bursting with noise; mysterious bangs of explosions sounding from the twin's room and vibrating the house, Mrs Weasley's bustling in the kitchen as she began the dinner, Harry and Ron's shouts of laughter as they played Quidditch outside in the sun… and in silence, it was oddly eerie.

She began to climb the stairs, peering around her to see if anyone was about to jump out from the shadows and yell "gotcha!" She wasn't surprised that the voice in her head matched Fred's. She shook herself out of it, she was only being paranoid. When she reached the landing, she almost hurried to Ginny's bedroom and flung open the door.

Her eyes immediately fell on the redhead. Ginny was sitting cross-legged on the floor, a dozen magazines scattered around her, each of them open at different pages. She hadn't noticed her an intruder enter her room – she was busy talking animatedly on a muggle telephone (to Hermione's surprise), and scribbling notes on a notepad. Hermione squinted at one of the magazines, and smirked when she caught the title.

'HEN PARTY HEAVEN!'

"Gin!" Hermione practically shouted, "What are you doing?"

Though it was pretty obvious.

Ginny looked up, only just realising she was there. She did an almost comical double take when she saw it was Hermione, and dropped the phone on the receiver as if it was a poisonous spider.

"Hermione!" she yelped, leaping up from the floor and gathering all the magazines up rather hastily, "er – urm – _hey!_"

"Who were you on the phone to?" Hermione asked.

"Oh - oh no one. You don't know them. So - er - what's up?"

Hermione had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing outright. Ginny was failing miserably at trying to sound casual. She had GUILTY stamped across her forehead in red letters.

"Hmm, yes. What a question that is… what _is_ up Ginny?"

Ginny's cheeks burned scarlet.

"Er – I was… I was just, y'know…" she cleared her throat, "I was reading some fashion magazines…"

"Oh really?" Hermione said in mock intrigue, she picked up a random magazine from the pile, "so why does this one say…" she read a subtitle off the front cover, "'Horny handcuffs for a fiver'?"

Ginny was now the colour of a beetroot.

Hermione snorted with laughter at Ginny's flustered state as she stuttered over words to form up another shitty excuse for what she was doing.

Ginny glared at her and snatched the magazine from her head and threw it behind her, "okay! Okay! I'm planning you're hen party alright?" she snapped.

"Thank God," Hermione smirked, "I would have been worried if you weren't and you asked me to lend you a fiver."

Ginny scowled at her and shook her head, but a smile began to creep upon her lips as she pushed past her to walk downstairs. Sometimes, Hermione Granger really was a piece of work!

"Albert's with Sirius today then?" Ginny asked as they reached the kitchen and flicked the kettle on, "cuppa tea?" she called over her shoulder to Hermione, who was lounging on the sofa.

"I would love one thank you," Hermione replied, "and yes, he is," she furrowed her brow, "well I'm _assuming_ he is anyway, Remus could be taking him to anyone for all I know."

Ginny laughed, "I can't see Remus doing that."

"Neither can I," Hermione smiled, "and you know how I know that he takes him to Sirius?"

"How?" said Ginny, walking carefully over to her with two steaming cups of tea in each hand. She handed one to Hermione and sat next to her on the sofa, both cross legged and ready for a good gossip.

"Because Albert's started saying a lot of rude words lately," Hermione said irritably, rolling her eyes.

"Like what?"

Hermione took a long sip of tea before placing it on the coffee table, "well, I'll give you a taster. Last week, I was changing him into his pyjamas after his bath, and I went to get him some warm milk and his bourbon biscuit before bed and when I come back he asks me with a face of pure innocence, 'can I have a vagina too mummy?'"

Ginny nearly choked on her tea. She swallowed it quickly and burst out laughing. Hermione was looking at her hysterically with an expression that said 'it's not _funny!_' but Ginny could see she found it thoroughly amusing just as she did, as her mouth was fighting back a huge grin.

"A _VAGINA_?" she gasped, sounding both impressed and mortified, "What on Earth did you say to _that_?"

Oh how she wished she could have been there just to see the horror on Hermione's face.

"Goodness, I don't even know now… I think I was just too shocked to remember anything, but I have a feeling it was something along the lines of 'say that again and I'll wash your mouth out with soap'," Hermione said, shaking her head and smiling at the memory.

"Trust Sirius for it to be vagina, of all the words!"

"I know he's a pain in the arse… Al's said shit as well before now. His toy car hit the wall and he just blurted it out!"

They both went to take a sip of tea but caught one another's eye and doubled over in exhilarating giggles instead.

"What are you two ladies laughing about?" a voice said from the doorway.

They looked over to see Fred standing there, George peering behind him, both looking up to no good. As always.

The giggling girls finally quietened down.

"What have you done now?" Ginny sighed exasperatedly.

Fred raised his eyebrows innocently, "nothing! We've just come to say hello haven't we George?"

"Course we have and great job we did now when mum wasn't lurking around than later-"

"Was thinking exactly the same, better get these boxes up stairs hadn't we… shall we put a feather-light spell on them-?"

"Nah, just levitate them…"

"Righto."

Hermione and Ginny exchanged a bemused look before glancing back to the hallway where the twins were standing muttering a spell under their breath with their wands which were pointed at the giant boxes.

Hermione stood up and Ginny followed her.

"What are in those boxes boys?" Hermione asked suspiciously, craning her neck to see over the twin's shoulders. Hermione caught a 'WWW' stamp which she recognised at once to be 'Weasley Wizard Wheezes' and groaned. The box was most likely to be full with products from their joke shop.

Fred heard her and spun around, shaking his head vigorously, "ah, ah, ah Herms," he grinned brilliantly and gestured dramatically to the boxes now levitating their way through the hall and up the stairs, "these are not just any old toys."

An identical grin spread across George's face, "they're _sex_ toys-"

"For Oliver's stag do," Fred finished, nodding as if it was the most genius plan ever.

"WHAT?" Hermione spluttered incredulously, "why are you taking them to his stag do? Why would you _need_ to?"

"Good rhyming there," George winked.

Hermione glared at him.

"Love, you have no idea what kind of crazy shit goes down at stag dos," said Fred matter-of-factly, "I mean _crazy_. There's loads of women, which means boobs, and now that we have sex toys – well… it will be heavenly."

George grunted in agreement, "Though of course, it would be loads better if you weren't marrying Oliver the Oddball in the first place, so _we_ could have you instead."

"Yes, that would be loads better," Fred said dreamily, and turned to high five his twin, "great minds think alike brother."

Ginny snorted, "Oliver the Oddball?" she shook her head in bewilderment, "what are you two _like_?"

"No Gin," Hermione said, "he is quite odd."

She raised her eyebrows to prove her point.

Ginny didn't know whether to laugh or not, so she just settled with an uncertain, "oh right!"

* * *

><p>Harry and Ron arrived an hour later along with a stack of crates levitating behind them and again, floating up the stairs. Hermione took one look at the crates and nearly fainted. It was <em>all <em>alcohol.

"You're taking _five _crates for the stag do?" Hermione exclaimed hysterically, "FIVE?"

"One of them is butterbeer!" Ron said, as if that made everything better.

Hermione clapped her hand to her forehead, and walked away muttering, "I just bloody hope you all make it out alive…"

Harry chuckled at his best friend as she walked past, and then kissed his wife in greeting.

"Have you got everything sorted out for the Hen Party?" he asked when he was certain Hermione was out of earshot.

Ginny nodded, "just about. I was nearly pulling my hair out about it, but it's all sorted now. It's going to be amazing."

"I'm sure it will," Harry beamed, "I bet you haven't got as much alcohol as us!"

Ginny pursed her lips.

"No. Not quite that much."

Ron laughed and Ginny shot him a pointed look.

"None of us can get too off our faces though… maybe it was a bad idea having both stag and hen parties the day before the wedding."

Ron grimaced at her, "yeah, _maybe_!"

Ginny ignored him and turned to Harry.

"Have you seen Sirius yet?"

Harry's smile vanished, and his eyes wandered to his feet like they always did now when his Godfather was thrown in as a topic of conversation.

"No…" he murmured quietly, "he did send me an owl though…"

Ginny rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, "and what did it say?"

"Just – just that he was sorry about his absence at my birthday and that he wants to see me soon…" Harry shrugged when Ginny made a sound of disapproval, "he has a lot going on with Albert and now Hermione's getting married… I don't think he's taking it all that well."

"What makes you say that?"

"Remus mentioned it to me… I just don't want him to go off the rails, with the wedding in two days and everything."

Ginny sighed helplessly and kissed him, trying to cheer him up.

"Sirius isn't completely reckless. He'll look after himself."

Harry smiled weakly, not entirely convinced, but followed Ginny and Ron into the kitchen all the same.

* * *

><p>Charlie Weasley had just finished a particularly gruelling day at work. His mood had been abysmal all week and nobody could guess why. Only he knew and there was no way he was going to tell anyone even if his life depended on it - he'd rather pretend to be a hippogriff for the day.<p>

He dragged his feet up the cobbled path to the Burrow, and banged on the door with his head. It was an excuse to hurt himself, so he did it again. In the glass he saw a blurry figure approaching, so he leant his head up to see who it was; he'd been damned if it was Ginny or Hermione. Both were avoiding him and he was clueless as to why.

Well, that wasn't _entirely_ true… with Hermione he suspected it may have been because he danced too suggestively with her at the wedding reception, put his hands on her waist too much, only to have them removed by her and then he put them back on again. But to avoid him for that was downright _pathetic_. She looked gorgeous that night, as she always did, and a man like himself just couldn't sit back and watch a treat like that pass him by…

He straightened up, the door was opening. He exhaled in relief, as it was Remus, looking tired but content.

"Hello Charlie," he smiled pleasantly, "how was work?"

Charlie stepped through the threshold and waved his hand dismissively, "shit as always," he yawned as he kicked off his shoes carelessly and sprinted up the stairs leaving Remus staring after him, taken aback by his abrupt, and quite frankly _rude_ departure.

Charlie sauntered to his room wanting nothing more than to be left the hell alone from all the other occupants in the house. He needed to sort out himself out. As he made to charge up another set of stairs, something caught his eye and he skidded to a halt mid-step. Wondering whether his mind was playing tricks with him or not, he leant closer and excitement bubbled inside him when he realised he wasn't seeing things. Peeking out at him from a half open door, was an open box of what looked like sex toys. A switch clicked on in his mind like an on button and filthy ideas started popping into his head like a horny schoolboy and he felt himself scurrying into the room.

_Maybe I can find something that will stop me having problems. _He thought, his hands shaking with anticipation as he dug deeper into the box of goodies. To him, this was Christmas! Throwing a 'raunchy rabbit' aside, he made a mental note to praise his twin brothers overly later.

A few minutes later, he sighed. It would take him all evening to find the thing he needed. He pulled his wand out of his back pocket, knowing that this way would be much easier to find it.

"Accio erectile dysfunction lotion!" he said clearly.

There was a strangled sound from behind him, and Charlie froze. _Oh shit. _Was there someone behind him? He shut his eyes shut in horror; his heart pounding so hard against his rib-cage it could crack a bone. He prayed there was no one behind him. Oh please Merlin he hoped there was no one behind him.

"Er, Charlie?" a voice he recognised to be Remus said.

_Oh fucking hell._

"I thought I'd come and see how you – how you are."

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

* * *

><p>Hermione and Ginny were tiptoeing up the stairs, planning to steal a crate (more like one or two) bottles of firewhiskey for tomorrow night. Hermione didn't care if her wedding was the next day; she was still getting completely off her head. It would be her last day of freedom. She had to.<p>

She heard hushed voices in the room on the landing, and stuck out an arm to indicate to Ginny to 'hold it' and 'get down!'

Ginny looked curiously at her and Hermione mouthed 'someone's in there!' and nodded to the twin's bedroom on the first floor. Ginny's mouth formed an O and they both ducked below the banister, out of sight.

They both listened as hard as they could.

"Why are you looking for that?" Remus's voice said.

"Because – because…" another voice huffed, "I've been having problems – in the… in the bedroom."

Ginny and Hermione stared each other in disbelief.

_It was Charlie! And he was having problems in the BEDROOM! _

Suddenly, an idea struck Hermione. A brilliant one. And she dug into her pocket, biting her tongue as she did so to stop herself from laughing out loud, and a second later pulled out a muggle camcorder. She remembered she left it in her pocket this morning after she took it off Albert for messing about with it. Thank God she did!

She flicked the camcorder open and it turned on automatically, a red light flashing to show it was recording. She could feel Ginny silently sniggering next to her as she realised what she was doing, and Hermione had to bite back her own laughter as she pushed the camcorder on top of the banister, with any luck videoing their faces as well as their voices.

The pair started talking again.

_Perfect timing. _Hermione thought wickedly.

"You're impotent?" Remus's voice said again.

There was a moment of silence before Charlie admitted it, "yeah… I-I haven't been able to perform sexually for a while now."

Hermione actually had to shove her fist in her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"How long? It depends on the length-"

"7 and a half inches," Charlie said, rather proudly.

Hermione saw Ginny heave out of the corner of her eye and they both doubled over with silent, breathy giggles.

"No I-I meant – er – I meant how long has it been since you had an erection."

Remus sounded incredibly embarrassed, though it was nothing compared to Charlie.

"Oh, oh er- oh r-right." he stammered.

Hermione could just imagine his smug expression wipe off right now, his cheeks burning so red the heat radiated off his skin like an oven. Now _she_ was the smug one.

"About two months."

"Two _months_?" Remus spluttered incredulously.

He must have remembered he needed to sound reassuring, so he cleared his throat and corrected himself.

"That's – that's not long at all."

Ginny had her face in her hands, shaking like a leaf with uncontrollable laughter, and Hermione was on the verge of cracking any second, she felt like a toddler bursting for the toilet.

"Do you think toys would help me?" Charlie's voice asked, "I mean… I heard these raunchy – raunchy rabbits are they called? Well I heard they were… y'know. Uplifting."

"Excuse the pun!" Ginny whispered.

That did it.

Hermione cracked.

She burst out laughing so loud, the whole house could have heard it – perhaps even the neighbours who lived miles away. She didn't give a crap, it felt so good to let go and just release all that laughter being trapped inside her. Ginny joined in too. It was infectious, and they could have easily gone on for the next half an hour. Hermione though, wanted to make sure she was going to get her revenge. She stood up and snatched the camcorder off the banister, directing it at Charlie's stunned face, before hurtling down the stairs, Ginny hot on her heels.

"Save it Hermione!" Ginny screamed joyfully.

Hermione jabbed the 'OK' button to save the video, before slamming the camcorder shut and pocketing it.

Oh yes, Charlie Weasley was only just experiencing the beginning of the bite of Hermione Granger.

The poison would sink in after a few minutes…

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: I cannot stress how much I laughed writing this. I hope you all enjoyed it too and are satisfied with Charlie's revenge so far, which I can confirm will fully unfold next chapter! Also next chapter are the hen and stag parties. Thank you everyone, I love you lots. :) _**


	9. Charlie, The Letter and Hen Party Preps

_A/N: After a long, long update (I'm sorry about that but the London riots have been fucking everything up) here I present to you my longest chapter yet! _I said last chapter that this was going to include the Hen Party and Stag, but there was just too much to fit in, so I have split the chapter into 2 Parts. I think it's better this way!__

_I should warn you, some of you won't be happy with Hermione's decision regarding Charlie, but I felt Hermione's character really would act this way. I hope you agree! Without further ado..._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9 – Charlie, the Letter and Hen Party Preps<strong>

Charlie Weasley had never been more embarrassed. He may as well have been standing there naked, bare and exposed for everyone to see. For the biggest fear for any man was to not be able to perform and please a lady in the bedroom and on top of that he had just admitted it in front of _two women_ – one of whom was his sister, the other a woman who he'd previously hoped to start something with, and right now there was more chance of him getting eaten by a polar bear than that ever happening.

The _Obliviate _spell crossed his mind in that moment, and for a second he actually considered using it on the two earwiggers, and maybe even Remus as well. It would certainly sweep his dark secret under the carpet. Fred and George would surely have heard the laughter rattling through the house too and they would without a doubt, never let him live the moment down. Not forgetting Harry and Ron, who would have regarded his issue like some kind of disease and would never look at him the same again. As his mind moved swiftly on to how he would get his friends and family into a position or situation where it was possible to deceive them using _Obliviate -_ like say when they were all unarmed and preparing dinner, he instantly felt sickened by himself. He imagined himself casting the spell, imagined watching their faces turn dreamy and glazed over, wiped of all memory that they ever found out about his little problem. He wanted to be spared the embarrassment, of course, but could he really go to that extent to be rid of it? What kind of person would that make him? He was a horrible person for the disturbing idea to even pass through his head.

Hermione and Ginny were still roaring with laughter, jabbing their finger in the direction where he stood shifting his feet in humiliation. His head was dipped to the floor and his hands swung backwards and forwards like an awkward seven year old asking out his first crush. He was going for the sympathy vote, and it annoyed the hell out of her. Why do men always assume they are undeserving of revenge? He deserved everything he got from her, and if he still couldn't work out why he repulsed her so, she was going to let him have it.

"Stop standing there looking sorry for yourself," she spat, "have you not been wondering why Ginny and myself can't stand you? You _know_ what you said – you know what a disgusting man you are – how you treat women like their objects with no feelings – it's foul, I've sat back and let you prowl around thinking you can do it for too long now. You've had this revenge coming to you for a long, long time Charlie Weasley and you will take it like a MAN."

"-if you can call yourself that," Ginny threw in, pointing between his legs and laughing again.

"Hermione," Remus addressed her, "what did he do for you to react like this? Charlie can't help his problem. He didn't ask for it to happen, and you filmed him admitting it? I would have never have thought either of you could be so cruel-"

"Save it Remus please! You are wasting your breath. The weasel knows what he did."

Her eyes fell on Charlie with such a vicious stare Remus's hand twitched to his wand pocket just in case he needed to cast a protective spell between them.

Remus raised his eyebrows inquiringly, expecting her to elaborate.

"Do you remember the night I left, Charlie?" Hermione taunted as she began to pace, "I had been very ill. I had just returned from St. Mungos where the Healer had confirmed my suspicions that I was pregnant with Sirius's baby. I didn't know what to do. I went back to Grimmauld Place to rest up, and as I went up the stairs I heard voices. It was you and Sirius," she said through gritted teeth, "you were talking about me. Do you remember the words you said about me Charlie?"

Charlie stood rooted to the spot, too afraid to speak, too afraid to breathe. He wasn't shaking, but he was sweating profusely on his brow, giving the impression that to some extent, he _did_ know what Hermione was talking about.

Hermione stopped pacing abruptly.

"_Well?_" she snapped.

Charlie flinched at her harsh tone and opened his mouth two or three times to speak, but with no sound coming out.

Hermione started circling around him, her eyes fixed on him like a predator's on their prey.

"Perhaps I should remind you," she snarled, "these were your exact words, spoken from your filthy mouth: 'if you get some action tonight, _film it_ for me yeah? Don't tell her you're doing it obviously, I doubt Hermione is that eager.'" Oh and what about this one," she went on, "'well just switch on the Sirius Black charm and I'm sure she'll widen her legs.'"

She had tears in her eyes as she recalled it. No one would know how much those words hurt coming from two people you thought you knew until you experienced it for yourself.

Remus gasped and glared daggers at the man standing next to him, immediately regretting sticking up for him a minute before.

"You unimaginable barstard," he hissed.

It was rare for Remus to get angry, he was usually always calm and collected, even in the direst situations; however this was different. He had learnt many things over the years, and one of the most important was from Harry before the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998, when he was considering leaving Tonks so he could go out and provide protection for the Golden Trio in their hunt for Horcruxes. He hadn't taken Tonks's feelings into account. Harry made him realise that he treated her wrongly when all she did was love him, and now he also believed that treating women with disrespect was the highest form of disloyalty.

"Hermione, I-I I'm sorry, I didn't mean it," Charlie wailed, "and I know for a fact Sirius didn't-"

"Sirius is suffering his pain now. He is getting what he deserved, so don't mention him," Hermione sneered.

What little nerve Charlie had speaking had now vanished.

"L-look, I-I know it's not an excuse but it's the truth, we – we were drunk and Sirius had been in a bad mood because you were being distant with him and-"

"_I don't want to hear about Sirius!_" she shrieked.

Charlie swallowed hard, "I was jealous of him, I liked you. Fred and George liked you. He had what a lot of us wanted. I'm s-sorry about what I said, r-really-"

"Well if you aren't now you will be."

"What?" he almost squeaked, "What do you mean?"

"I have a video of you admitting that you can't get your cock up," Hermione shot and Ginny burst out laughing, "and I won't hesitate for a second to show that video to all the girls at my hen party tomorrow night. Imagine what they'll say… you'll be a laughing stock."

"You wouldn't- please-"

"Wouldn't I?" she seethed, "Imagine what it feels like being humiliated like I was Charlie. Imagine what it feels like knowing the way people talk about you behind your back. It was demoralising for me, I felt worthless. Imagine what it'd be like for you!"

Charlie fell silent. He was quaking in his boots at the prospect of his most hidden secret being revealed to a group of women, which would undoubtedly lead to the whole magical world knowing the way word got round, and before long no woman would look twice at him.

"I know…" he whispered, "what do you want me to say? I've said how sorry I am… if I could take it back I would. Half the time when men get together we talk about things we don't mean. We find it hard to confess our feelings to our friends, so we instead say things which act like we don't care. And I know that's what Sirius was doing. I know you said you don't want to talk about him but he did love you back then. Don't hold the words we spoke against us. In sounds strange, but we said those things to protect us from you."

Hermione's jaw fell open.

"Protect you from me? I don't understand-"

Charlie sighed, "I told you I _liked_ you. I really did. You're not like any of those other girls Hermione and all of us men know it. At one point you had five men after you. Sirius, Fred and George, Ron and myself. And when I was with Sirius that time, and we were drinking and saying all that stuff, we _both_ liked you and we wouldn't admit it. You had got us all and sucked us into you so deeply that you made it pretty hard for us to forget you…" he slumped his shoulders in shame, "I told you us blokes find it hard to confess our feelings to our friends; it's not right, but they take the piss if we're whipped on a girl. Sirius was so whipped with you; he'd have done anything for you. And I was whipped with you even though you never saw me like that at all. Do you understand? We said those things to cover up the fact that we all wanted you, so we wouldn't fall for you so much that we couldn't bounce back again," he brought his eyes up to look at her, "it's crazy. It's stupid. It's wrong. But all men are like it to their friends. I know it doesn't excuse it whatsoever, but know that I am so sorry Hermione. You have to understand that we never meant to hurt you intentionally. I'm sorry…"

And he truly _was_ sorry. Hearing those words back was like being drenched in freezing cold water. He regretted that it took a lot to make him realise how cruel he had been to her, and how speaking without thinking what you're saying could affect not just one person, but a few people, dozens of people or even millions of people. What if he hadn't have said those words? Sirius and Hermione may have still been together, a young family with little Albert and perhaps another one along the way.

There was no point in thinking about that. He couldn't change it now it had happened, he couldn't repair the damage that had been done. And even if he could, it wasn't his fault. Sirius said those words just as much as he had, and it would have hurt more coming from him, her lover. But Sirius was suffering in return now, or so Hermione said. She was paying him back for the pain he caused her. She was getting her revenge on him, the worst revenge of all. There was nothing more painful than heart-ache. There was no cure. You just had to sit and endure it, the torture. The waiting to move on… if you ever did.

Charlie knew that Hermione now had the potential to break his confidence, his reputation, his name – everything of him, because she had this video. Whether she would accept his apology and forgive him was another story.

Hermione took a deep breath and thought about how she was going to tell him what she wanted from him. It meant a lot to her.

"I want you to stop treating women like they're pieces of meat," Hermione spoke very passionately, "you can't keep judging us by our legs, bum and boobs, there is more to everyone than that. We are people with feelings; we deserve the respect of men, not their perverse stares. If that's all you look for in a girl then your happiness will be short lived, because you were looking for beauty on the outside, not on the inside. How do you expect to ever find a wife and have children if you're still stuck in an immature, inexperienced schoolboy mode who talks to our boobs instead of our faces? You won't. I know that you're not a bad person. You're from a big family that love you, you have a good job as well but you could have so much more. You're just going through the necessities, scraping by and not really knowing what to do with yourself. You need to grow up Charlie. You need to take responsibility, and when you do that, everything will fall into place," her voice became suddenly softer, "so I will accept your apology. You hurt me, yes, but it would be hypocritical of me to then take revenge on you by showing everyone that video. Maybe it's what you deserve; but I would much prefer to help you change your ways and become a better person than kick you while you're down. And next time you have feelings for a girl, don't insult her because you're with your mates. You shouldn't be ashamed. Tell her."

When Hermione had finished her speech, Ginny broke into a loud and enthusiastic applause.

"Incredible! Absolutely incredible! An Oscar-worthy performance!" she shouted, and then shot one last look of warning at her brother.

"You heard what she said. You best change, or we might just hit the play button-"

"Alright Gin," Hermione giggled, "I think he's had enough threats from us for one night."

Charlie relaxed and cracked a relieved smile, and crouched before her, gripping one of her hands as he did so.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he cried, "I won't let you down, I swear. I can change. Percy changed didn't he? And so can I. Thank you so much. You truly are an amazing woman Hermione. Thank you!"

"Thank me when you have changed," she said and patted him on the cheek, "you can go now."

He nodded and left for the kitchen, and Ginny bounded up the stairs in search for Harry. She and Remus were the only ones left in the hallway, and he was looking at her with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

"You're full of surprises aren't you Hermione?" he smiled, "you done the right thing. As your former professor I have watched you grow into a fine young woman, and I for one can say I am very proud of you."

Hermione returned his smile.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said.

"How is he?"

Remus frowned slightly, "how is whom?"

"Sirius," she said, barely louder than a whisper.

The frown disappeared instantly as if it was never there.

"He's – he's okay…" he said unconvincingly, "he's just had a lot to deal with at the moment. It's been hard for him, but he's getting by. He loves the time he spends with Albert."

Hermione nodded and smiled at the thought of him and Albert spending time together, no doubt getting into mischief some way or another. It dawned on her in that moment how happy she was that Sirius was the father of her child and not anyone else. If it was anyone else, her son Albert wouldn't be Albert. He wouldn't have his cheekiness or his adorable puppy eyes or his unruly hair. He wouldn't have his bravery or his fearlessness, or his skill on a broom. Well, he would have been brave anyway, for she was brave. But together, they had created a beautiful little boy hadn't they?

"Where is he?" she asked, not successfully hiding all the need in her voice.

"He's staying in his Uncle Alphard's old house in the country. He always liked it there," he reached into the inside pocket of his robes and pulled out a creased letter and handed it to her, "here. Sirius wrote it and told me to give it to you – I haven't read it."

Hermione took the letter and ran her finger over her inked name. She remembered that she always loved his handwriting. It was so elegant and free, but on certain letters like 'e', it would become messy or rushed.

She shook her head in confusion, "but why did he write it? Why are you only giving it to me now?"

"Because he told me to give it to you when you asked where he was. I don't know what it's about Hermione. You'll have to read it for yourself."

**XXXX**

Sirius was strolling down the hill towards his house. Albert was next to him, holding his hand and wobbling slightly as he tried to imitate his dad's walk. They were both wearing leather jackets, the toddler's about ten times smaller, and their black-brown hair windswept and unkempt around their heads.

"Daddy, what's that?" the boy asked, pointing a green spiky plant shooting out of the ground.

"That's a stinging nettle Al," Sirius replied.

"A – a – a stiggy nettle?" he raised his eyebrows, "_that_ sounds _stupid_!"

Sirius barked a laugh. Albert's eyebrows always rose, furrowed and arched when he was trying to prove a point just like Hermione's did.

"Not a stiggy nettle you rascal, a _stinging_ nettle!"

He crouched down behind him so they were on the more or less on the same level and both looking at the strange plant.

"It looks like a beanstalk," Albert whispered in his daddy's ear, as if the nettle could hear him if he spoke loudly.

Sirius grinned. He had read the story 'Jack and the Beanstalk' to him this morning.

"Yeah it does a bit," Sirius said, hoisting the toddler onto his knee, "but I wouldn't touch this one. It'll hurt you."

Albert's eyes widened with intense interest and fascination as he looked at his dad and back again at the plant.

"Look."

Sirius stretched his hand out and lightly brushed one of his fingers across the leaf. His finger immediately burnt red and sore, and a second later an angry, swelling blister had formed.

"See?"

Albert cautiously brought his tiny hand to curl around his dad's injured finger.

"The beanstalk is mean!" he announced, glaring fiercely at the plant as if it had just insulted him. He kicked it forcefully with his little leg and pulled on his dad's arm.

"Let's _go_ daddy!" he shouted.

Sirius laughed loudly again and scooped up the toddler easily in his arms, kissing him softly on the forehead as he did so.

"You sounded like mummy when you said that," Sirius beamed as he continued to trudge down the hill.

Albert wrapped his arms around his neck and let his head drop to his shoulder.

"I love mummy," he whispered.

Sirius stroked his hair and kissed him again, "me too, Ally, me too."

Albert fell silent, his voice being replaced by his barely audible inhales and exhales of breath, indicating he had fallen asleep.

Sirius finally reached the front door to his Uncle's house, and unlocked it with his wand.

The house was a traditional English cottage, with ivy growing up one side of the wall and an apple tree in the garden. There were no neighbours for miles, the only source of noise being the horses in the field opposite. Sirius liked it being secluded. He cherished his privacy. He had been living for too long under the eye of the paparazzi; his movements had been traced for years as an Azkaban escapee, his face splashed over all the 'Wanted' posters. And after his name was cleared, whenever he went out in London there would be a camera man lingering around the corner or outside his house getting a snap of him for the Prophet. So living in the countryside, it was nice to finally be rid of them.

The local muggle pub that he visited a lot was a mile or so up the hill, so the location was perfect for him. He would jog up the hill every Sunday, either as Snuffles or himself and order a homemade Roast Dinner, have a few pints and sprint back again. He took Albert there the other week. He loved it, so much so that he asked the barmaid for a pint too after seeing his dad order one. Sirius chucked him over his shoulder at that, laughing as he did so and ordered him a carton of orange juice instead.

There was no doubt he was Sirius Black's son.

"Let's put you to beddy-byes," Sirius yawned as he carried a sleeping Albert up the stairs and into his nursery; he had decorated the room the same as the one at Grimmauld Place, mainly because Hermione had been in that one and judging by the astonished look on her face she had loved it.

He lightly pushed open the door and made his way to the cot, dodging all the toys scattered on the floor that would be soon be levitated back into the toy box until Albert's next visit. Remus would be coming to collect him in a few hours.

Sirius gently lowered his three year old son into the cot, and lay him down.

"You'll be going home to mummy soon," he said, "so I'll say goodnight," he leant down and kissed him on the forehead, "sweet dreams, son."

He tapped the record player with his wand and it started playing soothing piano ballads quietly. Sirius made his way to the door, thinking his boy had already drifted off into dreamland.

"Daddy?" Albert whispered through the darkness.

Evidently he was mistaken.

Sirius looked back over the edge of the cot to find the toddler lying on his back with his feet stretched in the air above him, trying to touch his toes with his arms. Sirius smiled and ruffled his hair lovingly.

"Yes tiger?"

"Why are you and mummy not together?" he asked, his little eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "don't you think she is pretty?"

Sirius was taken by surprise by the first question for a moment; for it had been a question he had been asking himself more and more every day. Why weren't they together? Sirius still believed from the depths of his very soul that they were meant to be, and it was that simple. But it felt more real when his son asked the question. It made him feel as though he wasn't the only one asking himself the same thing.

"I think your mummy is the most beautiful woman in the world," Sirius said solemnly, smiling slightly as Albert's big grey eyes widened with excitement, "and we're not together because she has Oliver doesn't she? They're getting married."

He tried his hardest to keep the bitterness out of his voice because he didn't want to give his son the wrong signals. He would be a dead man if Albert returned to Hermione mouthing off about her fiancé the day before their wedding.

Albert made a sound of protest and kicked his legs in frustration, "but I want you and mummy to be together! Oliver is _smelly_," he whined, his nose crunching in disgust.

"He's smelly?" Sirius asked, biting back a bark of laughter.

Albert nodded vigorously, "he smells of poo."

"Oi!" Sirius exclaimed, diving his hands to his ribs and tickling him. Albert squealed with giggles and rolled over onto his belly.

"_You_ smell of poo!" Sirius teased.

"_Daddy_!" he yelled happily.

His tiny fist clutched on to his favourite cuddly black dog whom he had named 'Norman' and threw it at his dad powerfully, giggling into his hand when it hit him on the head.

Sirius grinned and arched an eyebrow, "your cuddly dog has fell on the floor."

Albert's fists clenched on the bars of his cot and he pulled himself up, his head still not reaching the top bar.

"Pick Norman _up_!" he whimpered, hating being apart from his best friend. He attempted to crane his neck over his cot to see where his cuddly toy had landed, but he was too small.

Sirius pursed his lips and crossed his arms.

"Ask me again _nicely_."

Albert met his father's pointed look and immediately obliged.

"_Please_ may you pick up my doggy Norman _please_ daddy?" he asked again, pulling his innocent puppy dog eyes that only his mummy fell for but doing it anyway.

Sirius nodded and stroked the boy's hair, "good lad, but you only need to say please once, silly."

He bent down and picked up the cuddly toy from the floor and handed it back into Albert's outstretched arms.

"What do you say?" he prompted.

Albert hugged the dog tightly into his chest and patted his head, thrilled to be reunited.

"Thank you daddy," he said, grinning cheekily.

"Good boy. Norman's not your favourite dog though is he?" he said, pouting his lips in mock-hurt.

Albert shook his head so enthusiastically Sirius was impressed he didn't feel dizzy.

"Snuffles is my favourite! Snuffle's is _HUGE_!" he roared, stretching his arms out wide to emphasise how big the dog really was.

Sirius chuckled, "Snuffles is exhausted. You've been chasing him all day!"

Albert fell back against his pillow, his curly hair tousled cutely around his head. Sirius watched him with a smile on his face as his eyes fluttered closed and his head rolled to one side in his slumber.

"Sleep tight Al," he murmured and planted a kiss on his forehead, "don't let the bed bugs bite."

"Night-night daddy," he whispered sleepily.

Sirius tucked the blankets around his son's tiny body, grinning broadly as his small hand unconsciously wrapped around his blistered finger from the stinging nettle. Meanwhile, Albert slipped into dreamland. He was flying on his broom with Norman, staring in awe as thousands and thousands of bourbon biscuits showered down on him like rain. There was a giant beanstalk shooting up to the sky. Oliver was gone and mummy and daddy were together, laughing, holding hands and kissing (_ergh_!) and looking as happy as ever, beaming with proud eyes as their son zoomed around on his mini broomstick.

**XXXX**

Two hours later and Sirius had fallen asleep on the sofa downstairs. He was lightly snoring when he heard a knock at the door. He blinked his eyes open and squinted to see the disturbance. There was another knock, more impatient this time and Sirius groaned, ruffling his shaggy hair and growling under his breath, he shifted up on his elbows and heaved himself up to answer the door.

It was Remus coming to collect Albert.

"Alright, alright," he mumbled, "I'll go and get him," Sirius sighed and turned around to head up the stairs. He hated these moments the most, having to hand his boy over and not see him for another week.

"Sirius come here in a minute-"

"Yeah I'm going to get him now! _Jesus Christ_ Moony have some patience, or is it your time of the month?" he called from halfway up the stairs.

Remus rolled his eyes.

"Hermione's got the letter."

Sirius stilled, his foot frozen in mid-air hovering between two steps. Did he just hear what he thought he had?

He turned around slowly, the words still sinking in.

"Sorry w-what?"

"I said _Hermione's got the letter_. She asked where you were earlier this evening and so I gave it to her," Remus said simply, highly amused at the dumbfounded expression on Sirius's face. He half expected him to break out into a victory dance any moment.

"Oh my bloody god!" Sirius gasped, gripping the banister in case he fainted, "are you… you're certain?"

"One hundred and ten percent my friend," he beamed, "she hasn't read it yet because she was trying on outfits for her Hen Party tomorrow night but – but still, she'll read it before the wedding!"

Sirius punched his fist into the air so powerfully he nearly cracked the light, but he didn't care in the slightest. He collided into Remus with a rugby tackle/bear hug which had Remus rubbing his ribs painfully as he leant against the door frame for support.

"She'll finally believe me when I say how much I love her now Remus…" he croaked, "God she makes my heart beat so fast… I love her, I love her, I love her…"

"Oh one… two more things," Remus pushed on, ignoring his lovesick friend's mutterings, "number one: Hermione told me to ask you if it would be okay to keep Albert for an extra night, as she has the Hen Party tomorrow night and – well – it's not really the right environment for a three year old is it? I'll either collect him on the morning of the wedding (which would incidentally be two extra nights and Hermione's not too keen on spending that much time away from him) or tomorrow night, depending what time they arrive home from the hen…"

Sirius stopped listening after 'keep Albert for an extra night'. All he had to know was that his boy was staying with him for one more day for him to be put in the best mood ever.

"Are you alright with keeping him till tomorrow?"

Remus had a feeling Sirius had gone off into his own little world, as he was staring off into space with a silly grin on his face; his elation was radiating off him like steam, and it was infectious.

Remus waved a hand in front of his friend's face to get his attention. When that didn't work he clicked his fingers. When astonishingly _that_ didn't work, he slapped him.

Hard.

Sirius turned to face him as if he'd just been casually tapped.

"Are you alright with keeping Albert till tomorrow?" Remus repeated, making sure to keep eye contact with him in case he went off in a daze again.

"Do you even have to ask me that?" Sirius spluttered incredulously, "of course I am!"

"Right, that brings me on to the second and final thing," Remus said, "I have something to give you… from Hermione."

Sirius's grey eyes widened in disbelief, which transformed quickly to excitement, and Remus felt sure if he was in dog form right now he would be wagging his tail.

"What is it?" he practically cried.

"It's – it's…" Remus began, then shook his head and groaned.

"Oh _God!_"

Sirius was jumping up down with anticipation, very much like a child would have when their mum announced they were allowed a second helping of ice cream.

"WHAT IS-"

He cut himself off, remembering his son was asleep upstairs and cleared his throat.

"What is it?" he demanded.

"Oh – oh _fine_! But it's from Hermione…"

Remus leant in and pecked Sirius on the lips so quickly Sirius didn't have time to stop him. He was in and out faster than a burglar.

At first Sirius looked traumatised, glaring at Remus so fiercely he looked as though he was about to punch him for acting so inappropriately. But then realisation dawned on him.

"That – that was from Hermione?" he asked, a shit-eating grin sliding across his lips.

Remus nodded, "she made me do it, she said if I didn't she'd tell Tonks about my hidden porn stash in Grimmauld Place…"

"Ah, my Hermione is a brilliant witch," Sirius grinned, his voice bursting with pride, "and it's not really _hidden_ is it? It's on the DVD shelf. Al got hold of it when we were picking a film to watch…"

Remus chose to ignore his last comment.

"The kiss was meant to be a bit longer, but-"

Both men's faces cringed and they felt they didn't need to elaborate.

"She didn't kiss you and then tell me to pass it on did she?" Sirius asked, immediately tensing up.

"No," Remus assured, and Sirius relaxed.

"Did she say anything else?" he asked hopefully.

"She said the kiss was a thank you, for keeping Albert for longer on short notice."

Sirius's heart sank. The kiss was a thank you. Was that it?

"Right – well – next time she can thank me personally," he muttered, feeling slightly crestfallen.

**XXXX**

Hermione had come up with every shitty excuse under the sun to get away from the chaos that was currently unfolding downstairs in the Burrow. According to Harry, Ginny had ordered about twenty five dresses for the bride to be to try on for the Hen Party tomorrow night, and since she was refusing to tell her the theme of the night, Hermione had to awkwardly find her way into the dresses blindfolded with two giggling girls – Luna and Ginny, to help her.

After an hour and a half of fumbling around seeing nothing but black and having to put up with Luna's dreamy voice bursting through her thoughts, she had shouted to Ginny that the experience was like some sick bondage porno and she needed to lie down. Ginny allowed her fifteen minutes, and here she was, lying on her bed with propped up elbows, her mind somewhere else entirely than on Hen Party dresses.

And it was all because of this bloody letter from Sirius bloody Black. She was holding it now, stroking the crisp envelope delicately with her fingers, and all the while thinking that his hands had held this letter, his hand had moved along the page as he wrote his elegant script. She hated the way she still thought about him after all this time. They had so much history that with any other man she wouldn't have cared if she'd never have seen them again, but with Sirius it was different. Her feelings towards him were more than skin deep and she had always known that since the moment their lips touched for the first time on that rainy day in the Black Library. She had sent him that kiss with Remus because she missed him more and more each passing day, and now that Albert was with him too, she felt more alone than ever in the height of when she _should_ be happiest.

Ginny had noticed her drifting of course; there was only so much pretending you could do until your fake smiles started to falter. She had noticed how she never seemed bothered about the wedding plans; she had the 'that'll do' approach, and seemed to enthuse about the wedding half-heartedly whenever Ginny had asked her if she was looking forward to it. If she was certain of anything, it was that Hermione Granger was not a half-hearted being, and everyone knew that. If something was to be done, it was to be done perfectly or not at all. She was a determined, feisty young lady who wasn't afraid to voice her opinions or thoughts, worked tirelessly with every job she was given no matter how small and was motivated by making the world around her a better place. But right now, it was as if something had died inside her.

As she stared down at the letter, she wondered if it held all the answers that she had been pondering over. Did Sirius really love her? What did he hold back from saying that night when she told him she was engaged to Oliver? She didn't want to hear about the words that were spoken by him and Charlie. That was over when Charlie explained what happened and promised to change. She was moving on from that as she rightfully deserved to, and starting a new chapter in her life. With Oliver. _With Oliver._

She couldn't back out of this marriage now. She was already in too deep.

She wiped the wet tears from her eyes and inhaled deeply. She had to pull herself together if she was going to get through the next few days, for they would test her strengths to new highs that the war only brushed upon. With one last acknowledging sweep of her fingers, she tucked the letter under her pillow and returned down stairs.

**XXXX**

"Oh this dress looks amazing babe," Ginny's voice gushed excitedly, "this is the one Herms, one hundred and fifty percent! You'll have to put the fellas on a leash to stop them from biting into you with this on!"

"That doesn't sound appealing," said Luna from somewhere to her left.

Ginny didn't reply, and Hermione knew she was ignoring her. She couldn't see because of the blindfold, but Hermione would bet money that Ginny was glaring at her.

"Can you tell me what the fucking theme is now?" Hermione shot irritably, raising her hands up to yank off the blindfold.

"NO!" they both shouted, grabbing each hand. They had answered this question at least thirty times since their trying-on session began.

Least they both agreed on something.

"Am I allowed to know what the boy's theme is?"

"No," Ginny answered again.

"Why did they decide the theme to be Quidditch goalkeepers?" Luna's voice chimed through the air, "it's a bit odd. Oliver _is_ a goalkeeper. I'd find the outfit rather samey if I were him."

"_Luna!_" Ginny shrilled incredulously.

"Yes?" replied Luna, perfectly calm.

"_You just said the theme of the stag do!_"

"Oh! Are you sure?" she sounded surprised, "I thought I said that in my head."

"No," Ginny snarled, "you definitely didn't."

"Oh dear."

**XXXX**

The following morning, Mrs Weasley had ordered all the 'children' to sit around the table in the kitchen. Hermione guessed she was going to have some kind of talk with them about the forthcoming events that evening.

She was right.

When Hermione entered the kitchen with Ginny, she saw Fred, George, Harry and Ron already seated around the table being served a full English breakfast by a pursed lipped and red faced Mrs Weasley.

"And they're up!" George called triumphantly as the girls groggily made their way to their seats.

Neither of them replied, they just yawned simultaneously as they sat down.

Hermione hadn't slept a wink last night. Her mind was like an over-sized clock, the small hand ticking continuously, counting down the hours, the minutes and seconds until she would be a married woman. Her nerves were swimming around in her stomach so violently that she thought she would take one look at the sausages being put onto her plate and be sick.

Ginny didn't look much better. She was probably stressing over Hen Party plans which was at the very bottom of Hermione's list of worries. In fact, it hadn't even made the list.

"Bacon, Hermione?" Fred asked, waving a rash amusedly in front of her face.

Hermione shook her head and sipped her pumpkin juice, watching as Mrs Weasley continued to fill her plate up with an alarming amount of scrambled egg, fried tomatoes and hash browns. When she turned around and reappeared with four slices of toast, Hermione had to put her foot down.

"Really Molly, I think I have more than enough…" she began.

"Oh nonsense!" Mrs Weasley said, "You need all the energy you can for tonight and tomorrow. We don't want you being ill."

Ron rolled his eyes, "she'll hardly become ill mum!" his eyes settled on Hermione's stuffed plate and he licked his lips, "you're right Hermione you could feed the whole of bloody Hogwarts with that food. Mind if I grab that sausage-?"

"NO Ronald!" Mrs Weasley warned, "Hermione needs her food! These next few days are going to exhaust her. I don't want her to collapse as she's walking down the aisle do I? How would that make me look? No, Hermione you must eat it all up please," Hermione made a sound of protest but Mrs Weasley shook her head firmly, "every last crumb. I want that plate spotless."

"She needs to be able to fit into her dress for tonight mum!" Ginny reminded her, and then smirked to herself as if she had just remembered, "oh yeah…and tomorrow…"

"Mum, don't you think you're overreacting-?"

"No Fred, I am not overreacting!" she shrilled, "tell me, how much alcohol are you boys planning on consuming tonight hmm? You cannot drink on an empty stomach; ask your father why he knows from personal experience! I want you _all_ of you to eat _everything_ on your plates…"

"I don't like scrambled egg mum," Ginny pointed out, poking the egg with her fork disgustedly.

"It's protein Ginny dear," she said matter-of-factly, "so eat it this once please."

Ginny's jaw dropped.

"_Mum!_ I refuse to eat that – that pile of mush. It looks like sick-!"

Harry, who was raising a forkful of scrambled egg to his mouth, paused to look at it and then discreetly lowered his fork again.

"_Be quiet_ Ginny!" Mrs Weasley snapped, pointing a shaking finger at each and every one of them, "all of you listen to me. Tonight, you are going to a hen party or a stag party where there will be lots of drinking, drugs and maybe naked people running around-"

"That's a good thing-"

"_BE QUIET FRED_!"

Fred raised his eyebrows and sunk further into his seat.

"You are going to a hen party or a stag party where there will be all of these foul things," she continued, "you are all my children, Harry and Hermione included. You know that. When I watch you go down the aisle tomorrow, it will be like watching my second daughter Hermione…"

Ginny winked at her from across the table and they both giggled into their pumpkin juice glasses.

"I am touched Molly, thank you," Hermione's voice shook from the threat of laughter.

Molly patted her on the shoulder and carried on, "and boys," she eyed the males suspiciously, "if anyone of you are late to the service tomorrow morning because you are too drunk and disorderly, be warned that I will ring your neck. Harry dear, make sure Ron doesn't have too much… he is a bit of a lightweight."

The twins snorted with laughter and started banging on the table hysterically. Ron burned scarlet and bowed his head to his plate.

"Ginny, I know that Hermione is quite a catch, so I trust that you will restrain any male strippers trying to sleep with her," Mrs Weasley added, shooting her a knowing look.

Ginny's jaw dropped again and she stared at Harry in disbelief.

"_How did she know about the strippers_?"

**XXXX**

Sirius was freshly clean from his morning shower. He slept badly again last night. It wasn't like he wasn't used to not being able to sleep, but it was never as bad as this. He supposed it was the closer the inevitable wedding got, the more nervous and edgy he became; still, the thought that Hermione had his letter lightened his mood a considerably, and the fact that his son was spending another day with him, too. He pulled on a pair of black slacks that were strewn on the floor and tip toed into the nursery as quietly as he could, making sure not to step on any toys that would make a loud noise.

As he crept closer to the cot, he could hear whispering, and guessed that Albert was awake. When he reached it he peeked over.

"-and then you can run in the park and I will find you a big bone you can chew. You can try one of my bourbon biscuits, but I don't think you'll like it, mummy says doggies don't eat bourbons because they are bad for you… _I_ think they are yummy…"

Albert was talking quietly to Norman, stopping every now and then to listen to what the dog had to say back to him in reply.

Sirius watched him, shaking with laughter.

"What you doing tiger?"

Albert stopped talking and looked above him, his eyes sparkling when he saw who it was.

"Daddy!" Albert exclaimed, holding his arms out, wishing to be picked up.

Sirius swooped down and scooped him up.

"What were you saying to Norman?" Sirius asked, kissing him on the forehead and bouncing him in his arms all the way downstairs.

"That mummy says bourbons are bad for him and he'll get sick if he has one," Albert replied.

"Well mummy is right," Sirius smiled, sitting him in his high chair and opening the fridge, looking for something for breakfast, "he'll get really sick."

He poured him a mini glass of milk and set it on the table for him, then went to whip up some pancakes. Mini ones for Al, giant ones for him.

"What's that daddy?" Albert asked curiously, pointing at Sirius's chest as he slurped down his milk.

"What's what?"

Sirius motioned to different parts of his body with a spatula, making Albert giggle and shake his head.

"Noooo!" he yelled giddily, he pointed at the marking on Sirius's bare torso again, "_THAT_!"

"Oh _that_!" he chuckled, "That's a tattoo, son. A drawing."

Albert stared at it, so fascinated his little mouth hung open.

"I want one!" he announced loudly, standing up in his high chair as if declaring it to anyone who would listen.

Sirius was about to reply when a scratching sound came from the window. Albert turned quickly to see where the noise was coming from and lost his footing as he stood in his chair and accidentally slipped. His tiny body hurtled for the floor. Sirius swore and tore over to him, stretching out his arms and catching him just in time before he hit the ground. He held him with one arm and hoisted him protectively on his shoulder to see if the tot was okay, relaxing in relief when Albert seemed totally unaffected.

"Daddy, there is an owl at the window," he piped up.

Sirius turned around and hurried to open the window. The grey and brown owl perched on the sill, ruffling it's wings impatiently with a letter tied to its beak.

Sirius took the letter and offered the owl his half eaten toast from yesterday's breakfast, which the owl leant towards with a testing nip then backed away, clearly thinking better of it. Sirius's attention turned back to the letter.

He shifted Albert across to his left arm so he could open the letter more easily.

_It could be from Hermione. _

His fingers shook slightly as he tore open the envelope and pulled out the parchment, his heart beating at triple it's normal speed.

His face dropped in disappointment.

It was from Remus.

_Pads, _

_I've had an argument with Tonks. I'll explain later. But do you fancy going to the pub tonight? I know you have Albert, but you can bring him along. _

_I figured you'd want to take your mind off of tomorrow anyway. _

_Write back quickly this time,_

_Remus_

Sirius scribbled out a reply, accepting his offer and telling him to meet him at the pub up the road at 9pm, which was the late night happy hour. He gave it back to the bird, who held it firmly in his beak, and watched as the bird stretched its wings and rose higher and higher into the sky until it was so small it was a speck in the morning sunshine.

**XXXX**

By eight o'clock all the boys had headed off to Oliver and Hermione's flat to start getting changed for the stag do, and all the girls were arriving at the Burrow in order to start getting ready for the Hen Party.

There were ten 'chicks' coming according to Ginny, including herself and the Queen Hen of course-

"HERMIONE!" a bunch of girls screamed as they stepped out the fireplace one after the other.

Luna, Parvarti, Cho, Lavender, Katie, Alicia, Angelina and Tonks, who despite being much older than the other girls, Hermione had grown very close to over the years and saw her as the older sister she never had. It was strange how she didn't get on with some of the girls in her school years but now she was celebrating her Hen Party with them. They had all grown so close. That was one of the benefits of the War; everyone had overcome their differences they may have had in the past and just accepted that that was then and this was now. They had all fought alongside one another in the battle of Hogwarts; some had saved one another's backs or watched as a killing curse missed one another by mere inches, and that was an experience they all shared, and one that no one could take away from them.

After all that, they regarded each other as family.

"HEY CHICKS!" Hermione laughed, spreading her arms wide.

They all charged towards her, giggling as they all group-hugged. When they broke away, excited chatter immediately broke out about the evening that was about to commence.

"I'm _not_ wearing that penis tiara-"

"YOU'RE NOT WEARING KNICKERS?"

"If my heel snaps I'm just gonna walk barefoot-"

"This time tomorrow I'm gonna be dead girl-!"

"We should _accidentally_ bump into the stag boys and have our own little party-!"

"ALRIGHT GIRLS!" Ginny shouted over all the noise.

They all quietened down and turned to look at her.

"Hermione here still doesn't know about the theme," Ginny grinned wickedly, her eyes glittering, "BUT FIRST-" she shouted again as the group erupted into a series of 'ooooh's!' and 'wheeeyy's!', "we need to tell her where we are all off to for the night…"

Ginny gripped Hermione by the shoulders, "tonight babe, we are going into the _heart_ of London, taking a huge _yacht _up across the Thames, doing shots, getting hit on by sexy, strapping _strippers_, dancing as we go-" she did a little boogie and all the girls laughed, "and _THEN_, stopping off at the London Eye – we know you have a fear of heights and we're gonna conquer that _bitch_ before you become a beautiful bride tomorrow!" Hermione started squealing uncontrollably, jumping up and down with mounting excitement for the night ahead, even though she was dreading the ceremony tomorrow. Ginny shook her head and laughed, "That's not all! _AND THEN_, we are strutting in style into VIP 'Matter' Nightclub, and drinking, dancing, singing the night away, butler's waiting on us hand and foot while we're there, giving us whatever we ask for! It's gonna be a night you'll never ever EVER forget! But then you may do," she added as an afterthought, "all the alcohol and whatnot!"

She stopped and looked stared at her with huge eyes.

"_How does that sound?_"

Hermione was speechless. Literally, she was so overwhelmed by the night that was planned that she was shaking. Ginny had put in so much effort for her night, that she didn't think she could ever express how grateful she was that she had her as her best friend and maid of honour. She wanted to leave now so the night could last for as long as possible.

"_How did you pay for all this?_" Hermione choked, and the group made loud, amused sighs. If sounds could speak, they were saying 'trust Hermione to say that, of all things!'

"Never mind that. I'll tell you later," Ginny smirked and shook her body, "_HOW DOES THAT SOUND?_"

Hermione laughed and gathered all her best girlfriends around her, linking arms with them and beaming more than she had done in a long time.

"Promise you won't tell anyone girls?" she said, and they all chorused a comically exasperated, 'No!'

"Well… I have a feeling," she informed them, a playful grin creeping up on her lips, "that tonight is going to be better far, far, _far_ better than reading any book in the goddam world!"

The girls all laughed exhilaratingly, and group hugged again.

"_You insufferable know-it-all!_" Lavender drawled in her best imitation of Severus Snape, causing a few girls to flinch unexpectedly, thinking he was actually in the room and when realising he wasn't, doubled over with giggles again.

"OH AND BY THE WAY," Ginny's voice boomed over the noise again, "the theme is…"

She nodded to the girls, and they all shouted:

"_DUMBLE-WHORE'S_!"

Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or break down into tears.

"D-Dumble-_whores_?"

"Yeah!" Ginny cried enthusiastically, "we're all dressed as slaggy Dumbledore's!"

Tonks smiled fondly and clutched her hand to her heart, "he would be so proud."

Hermione was handed her electric purple very revealing dress and robe, which she saw matched all the other girls too, as they were now all pulling off suspiciously long, black billowing cloaks to reveal the startling outfits underneath. They even had half-moon spectacles on.

Hermione let out a mortified laugh and hurried into the bathroom to change.

One thing was certain: it was going to be a very _interesting_ night! (A lot more interesting than a book anyway).


	10. London Calling

_A/N: Hello darlin's! Sorry for the long update. I have started sixth form and the work never flippin stops. Anyway, after a month, here it is! ONE OF MANY PARTS of the Hen Party and the adventures of the Dumblewhore's. I hope you enjoy and stick with this story, it is nearing the end now and I have had such a time writing it. This chapter is lively, next chapter you will need the tissues. (maybe)._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten – London Calling<strong>

* * *

><p>Ten young women were strutting through the cobbled streets of South London, giggling behind their hands at the baffled looks they were receiving every minute from passers-by. They were dressed in electric purple skin-tight dresses with matching cloaks draped over their shoulders, half-moon spectacles and wizard's hats, looking staggeringly out-of-place, but in a good way. Men did double takes when they saw the group, others wolf-whistled appreciatively. Hermione cringed. It reminded her of the night of Bill and Fleur's wedding when Hermione, Harry and Ron apparated to Tottenham Court Road and four or five men were shouting out drunkenly to her to come and have a drink. But then sharing looks with the other girls, her cringes turned to laughter.<p>

They _had_ already finished off two bottles of wine between them after all.

Ginny abruptly threw an arm out to halt the hyper group, causing Tonks to momentarily trip over in her high heels.

"Drunk and disorderly already, Tonks," Angelina smirked, offering her hand to help her up.

Tonks gratefully accepted, smiling, "drunk and disorderly? Not quite there yet, honey. I'm practically sober! Wait till later, when I _am_ drunk!"

Ginny hushed them all and motioned dramatically to the riverside.

"There she is," Ginny beamed, pointing out across the River Thames which was shimmering white in the reflection of the early moon. Angelina, Alicia, Katie and Lavender all screamed girlishly, clapping their hands to their cheeks in awe. Hermione followed to where she was pointing; her breath hitched in her throat and she stilled, looking like someone who'd just experienced a Hogwarts ghost passing through their body for the first time.

"My – my _God_ Gin! You said… you said it was a yacht!"

Ginny pursed her lips, trying to hide the slither of a smile which was attempting to slide across her face.

"It is a yacht," she said innocently.

Hermione snapped her head towards her, her mouth hung open and her eyes widened almost comically.

"I'm not talking about that dinky rowing boat!" she spluttered incredulously, "I'm talking about the thing that looks like Ti-bloody-tanic!"

And it truly did. The yacht – boat – _ship_ towered high over the river, the pin-point that caught passers-by eyes and had them gawping like Hermione was now. In the most non-cliché way possible, it could be described as none other than beautiful with its glossy black and white sails, expensive shiny, gold railings running around the edge and hundreds of windows dotted along the outside. Fairy lights were scattered across the deck walls and twinkled like stars, only adding to its obvious exquisite designing and breath-taking detail. It illuminated the surrounding river like an angel's halo. Hermione could imagine the three thousand people now, the men in top hats and tuxes, the women in ravishing tight corsets, leaning over the edge of the ship and waving their handkerchiefs to the people below as they set sail. _Titanic_.

_Hermione smiled and accepted his outstretched hand to help her down the large concrete step leading to Felixstowe Beach. The beach seafront ran for miles either side of them, multi-coloured lamps lit up like Christmas tree lights in the darkness, making the scene seem like it was late December instead of mid-February. Hermione felt the crunch of stones beneath her feet as she stepped onto the beach. Sirius, clasping her hand in his, led her down to where the sand had broken away from the scatter of stones and lay soft and foot printed from all the passers-by of the day which was now drawing to a close. Sirius was dressed in black slacks, his waistcoat blowing open in the wind and exposing his half-done up maroon shirt underneath. _

"_Aren't you cold?" Hermione asked him as he stopped just before the waves reached their feet._

"_A bit," he said smiling, and settling himself behind her, "but I much prefer you in my leather jacket than I do me," he nuzzled her neck affectionately, "and anyway, I'll leave it up to you to keep me warm shall I? Come here."_

_He wrapped his arms around her front; their hands still clasped together as he watched her. _

"_Warm?" she whispered, relaxing against his chest._

"_Mmm yes," he murmured in response. _

"_Hey… is that – is that a-?"_

"_A ship," Sirius nodded. _

"_It looks like…" _

_She could feel Sirius's eyes on her, unblinking and spellbound. She bit her lip suddenly unsure of herself. It was a silly thing to say._

_Sirius caught on to her sudden change instantly and nudged her ribs softly, "no go on, tell me. What are you thinking about?" _

_When she only smiled, he prompted her further. _

"_You think it looks like the boat on the beginning of 'The Parent Trap'? The QE2? I know how much you love that film. Typical lovey-dovey muggle film…" he teased her, laughing lowly when she swatted him. _

"_Well, you obviously must have been paying attention to remember the name of the boat! You were sitting up like the eager dog you are and absorbing every word – I bet you watch it every night!" _

_Sirius barked with laughter, "I think a certain woman would have noticed my absence if I was watching 'The Parent Trap' every night," he purred, holding her closer against him, "what were you going to say the ship looks like before?"_

"_The Titanic." _

_Sirius grinned, "I suppose it does," he kissed her temple as he continued to chuckle, "let's just hope this one doesn't sink." _

"_Sirius!"_

After not saying a word for two minutes, Hermione thought she'd best say something quick.

"It's – it's just - wow," Hermione gushed, "it's stunning. Couldn't be any more perfect. Thank you so much Gin, only you could have thought of this! Goodness, you've planned so much! I can't ever say how much it means to me. Thank you babe."

She pulled her maid-of-honour into a rib-cracking hug and followed the group of slaggy Dumbledore's half-skipping, half-jogging towards the ship, waiting for them by the riverside.

"I present to you the first of _many_ adventures tonight!" Ginny declared, and made an extravagant and unnecessary gesture to the gigantic ship shadowing behind them.

Alicia turned to Luna and Cho, the two Ravenclaw's.

"What does '_Tourjours Pur_' mean? It's written on the side – look…"

She nodded to the front of the boat where the words were printed in elegant, gold, swirly letters.

Luna smiled knowingly, "Oh, of course! It's French for _always pure. _I believe it's the Noble and Ancient family of Blacks motto."

"But what's it doing on the side of the ship-?" Alicia's said, but was cut off.

"WELCOME ABOARD DUMBLEWHORE'S!" a loud, London cockney voice boomed from somewhere above them, "you are all looking very splendid this evening it has to be said – incidentally have any of you got a phone number-?"

"SHUT IT RODDERS YOU BLOODY PLONKER! Apologies ladies…" another man spoke in an equally strong cockney accent, "I'm DEL BOY, and this is… well – this muppet is Rodney."

The girls giggled gleefully, realising that they were pretending to be the characters from the hilarious muggle comedy 'Only Fools and Horses'. They glanced around them, looking for a sign of where the voices were coming from. Two dark figures emerged on top deck.

"We are your conductors for this evening! Come aboard darlin's!"

They each were immediately handed a glass of champagne, which they all took eagerly. Del Boy nudged on the vintage record player with his elbow, which started playing '_Build Me Up Buttercup'_ by the Foundations and winked at the girls as they squealed and broke into an exaggerated chorus.

"WHY DO YA BUILD ME UP-"

"BUTTERCUP BABY JUST TO LET ME DOWN-"

"_LET ME DOWN_-"

"AND MESS ME AROUND AND WORST OF ALL-"

"_WORST OF ALL_-"

"YOU NEVER GO BABY WHEN YOU SAY YOU WILL-"

"_SAY YOU WILL-_"

"BUT I NEED YOU STILL-"

"I NEED YOU!"

"_I NEED YOU!_"

"MORE THAN ANYONE DARLIN'-"

"YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE FROM THE START-"

"SO BUILD ME UP… BUTTERCUP-"

"_**DON'T BREAK MY HEART!**_"

Ten minutes later, Hermione, Ginny and Luna left the others to explore the ship. Hermione doubted they would have even noticed their absence. The remaining chicks were preoccupied with their comical hosts, Del Boy and Rodney; the last thing the three girls heard as they ran the length of the deck was Parvarti pointing out that they looked and sounded extremely like the characters on telly and Lavender smacking her across the head and saying that was the point.

"I wish daddy could have seen this boat," Luna said, dreamily caressing the rich wooden walls of the cabins as she passed them, "he would have been very impressed. He may have even written a column about it for next month's edition."

Ginny wasn't listening to her. Her forehead was pressed against the cold glass of a circular window, her prying eyes looking inside the cabin.

Hermione glanced back at her friends still surrounding the two men and back to Ginny again.

"What on earth are you doing?" she asked her, trying to peer through the window too.

Ginny turned around and looked at her, a mischievous grin smacking her lips.

"This, Hermione babe, is the Captain's cabin. Fancy steering the ship?"

Hermione gasped as her maid of honour kicked the door open with surprising strength and pulled her in after her, laughing wildly as she did so, totally unaware that her champagne glass was sloshing all down her purple dress.

"Oh good God, you're already drunk!" Hermione accused her.

"As you should be!" Ginny loudly replied, "It's your hen party girl! Get fucking DOWN!"

Hermione couldn't help but laugh outright at her, knowing that it would be Ginny that would be getting down any minute. On the floor.

"Ginny, you're spilling your drink," Luna interjected as she sucked happily on an orange juice carton.

"Why don't you lick it up for me babe? At least then you would be consuming some fucking alcohol," Ginny teased.

Hermione shook her head at Luna and rolled her eyes. Ginny always became quite boisterous when she had drunk too much. She was the only person she knew who could squeeze the word fuck into a sentence multiple times and get away with it.

"Right, let's steer this motherfucking ship into along the river fucking Thames fuck yeeaahhh?"

Hermione and Luna didn't need any more encouraging. They lunged for the white wheel, which was huge and wooden and could fit ten pairs of hands on. They fell silent as Luna scuttled around the helm and started the engine. It wasn't surprising she knew. Luna was as clever as Hermione. Sharing a look, the three girls grasped a handle of the wheel and began to steer as the ship gradually began to pick up speed. They were quiet as they each stared ahead out the window, observing the river stretched out in front of them and no doubt thinking of different things. Hermione smiled softly, as she curled her fingers around the glossy wood of the wheel. It was exactly like the one in the Titanic. She swore loudly in her head for thinking that. Straight away it made her think of Sirius.

How ridiculous it was that here she was, on the night of her Hen Party, possibly on one of the most gorgeous boats in Britain with her ten best girlfriends, and still her mind seemed to wander to Sirius. He was like poison seeping through cracks to her. She couldn't get away from him, no matter how far she ran. He would always find his way back to her. She had never felt so frustrated in her life. He refused to disappear from her mind.

_Sirius Black still wasn't out of her system. _

She found herself gripping the handle of the wheel so tight her knuckles had clenched white.

She refused to allow herself to think about him again this evening. Or tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the day after that.

As far as she was concerned, the only connection that the two of them shared was their son, and that was it.

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts with the bang of the door.

"OH, there you three are!" Tonks panted clutching her stomach but grinning all the same, "steering the ship…"

She let out a horrified flitter of laughter and beckoned them towards her.

"Two other er – _hosts_ – have arrived Herms," she informed her, shooting a knowing glance at Ginny.

"And who are they?" she asked, allowing herself to be pulled by two arms (one Ginny, one Tonks), along the deck. Luna was skipping along happily next to her, humming.

"I think we'll allow them to introduce themselves," Tonks replied, pursing her lips to stop herself from laughing.

"-but before we do that," Cho sang, as she approached them, "get these bad boys down you!"

She practically shoved two shots of smoking firewhiskey into her open hands.

"Down after three…" she dared her.

"You need to do some as well!" Hermione cried, eyeing the two glasses of green liquid and feeling that she had somehow drawn the short straw.

"That's what we've been doing, lovey!" a cockney voice which belonged to Rodney called.

"Get them down ya and you'll loosen right up," Del boy added, smiling broadly and flashing a golden tooth.

"3…" They all shouted.

"2…"

She shakily raised the first glass.

"1!"

It came into contact with her lips and she knocked it back, the liquid burning her tongue as it slid down her throat. It was so strong! She batted a hand around her eyes as they watered.

"And the other!" Lavender yelled, overjoyed that Hermione was finally becoming rebellious.

Again, she brought the second glass to her lips and again she knocked it back. This time, swallowing down the fiery liquid before she gagged.

Everyone cheered, and a ball of limbs tangled together as they all group hugged. Their voices shouting that little bit louder as they slowly became more intoxicated.

"Tell me Lav," Hermione asked her in what she assumed to be her normal speaking voice, "why have I gone all – you know – _floaty_? I mean, I love my wine as much as the next girl, but _that_ – that stuff was strong!"

"I know sweetheart, it's a little stronger than wine. Its firewhiskey," Lavender shouted in her ear, "and it's 38 percent alcohol!"

The rhythmic chanting started up again as Tonks did two shots, which resulted in her losing her balance and falling flat on her bum for the second time that evening.

"May I be of assistance?" a man growled in her ear.

Tonks slowly looked up at the man, almost fearfully.

Ginny snorted in laughter, a flung an unsteady arm around the intruder.

"Girls, quieten down, quieten down!" she bellowed over the many voices, "This is our very own MAD-EYE MOODY, looking very ravishing in that beige overcoat… and with him-"

"I can introduce myself thank you," came a drawling voice from the shadows.

Goose bumps surfaced Hermione's skin just at the sound. The chicks all looked around at one another, completely gobsmacked. It couldn't be-

"Severus Snape."

The man said coldly, stepping out of the shadows, his black eyes swivelling round at them all, the exact smug look plastered across his face which Hermione had seen so many times before on the real man himself.

"You look awfully like both of them," Alicia squeaked.

Tonks was still eyeing Mad-Eye as if he was a giant who had asked her for a cup of tea.

Ginny laughed shrilly and bounded over to Severus.

"These are actors," she explained to them, "trained actors. A friend of mine knew them and booked them for this special night. Only…" she pulled none-too-gently on Severus's cheek, much to his displeasure, and turned back to the gawping group, "only they have drunk Polyjuice potion, and so they actually are in the bodies of our old friends!"

Severus nodded curtly.

"How did you get their hairs?" Katie exclaimed.

Ginny pretended to yawn, "The order. Each of us had to have a few strand of hairs locked away in a safe in case of an emergency. Dad always said how helpful it was… blah… blah…blah…"

"And why are they here?" Lavender asked, her voice much happier once she realised that Severus Snape, however much he looked like him – wasn't the actual Severus Snape.

Ginny opened her mouth to speak but Snape held up a hand to stop her.

"Ladies, for tonight, you shall be thrilled to know I am sure, that we men, Mad-Eye and I will be entertaining you all in the greatest way possible."

"Making potions?" Parvarti mused.

"No," he replied, some-what amused with the comment, "we are in fact…"

"Your _**strippers**_," Mad-Eye nodded, his swivelling eye fixed on the pink-haired witch in front of him.

All the girl's reactions were more or less the same.

Alicia dropped the glass she was holding. Angelina clapped her hand to her mouth in utter horror; Lavender hurtled towards the side of the ship, followed by the sounds of violent retching and Hermione just screamed.

Screamed and screamed and screamed.

"THEY ARE OUR FORMER PROFESSORS!" she shrieked, rounding on Ginny, "OUR FORMER _DEAD_ PROFESSORS!"

"Hence the reason you need to drink up," Ginny nodded, unfazed by Hermione's drunken complaints and thrusting another shot into her hand.

"I DO NOT WANT TO SEE SNAPE OR MAD-EYE'S SHRIVELLED LITTLE WILLY'S!" she screeched.

Luna giggled into her hand and fell silent when Hermione glared at her.

"Excuse me? Shrivelled? Miss Granger, do not assume that just because I am not a young spawn that it is shrivelled. And as for little? Well, now-"

Hermione couldn't mentally listen to the man anymore. She turned to Ginny helplessly.

"Is this really happening? Did Severus Snape – _the_ Severus Snape just tell me that he thinks he has a sizable manhood?"

Ginny laughed and hugged her briefly.

"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity babe," she whispered, "we'll just enjoy ourselves and have a great time. Their little show we'll be over before you know it, and we'll be heading off to the London Eye!"

Hermione smiled weakly and downed another shot of firewhisky.

Angelina danced towards the record player and notched it up so loud the music could be heard pumping from the top of the Tower of London.

Ginny scuttled over to her and murmured something in her ear, which Angelina nodded to.

A minute later, '_Here Comes The Sun_' by the Beatles hit Hermione's ears. Her favourite song of all time.

Del Boy and Rodney were making their way around the group, handling two trays of champagne again, and insisting everyone take one.

Ginny tapped her glass and everyone fell silent and turned to look at her.

"Girls and guys, young and old-" she smirked at Snape and Mad-Eye, "and everyone else, tonight is my best friend's Hen Party, as you all know. Hermione is amazing in every way. She is a genius, a brilliant mum, a damn bloody beautiful woman and an all-round good egg," she smiled, "Merlin knows she deserves all the happiness in the world, and I hope with my heart you get it babe. Good luck for tomorrow, Oliver doesn't know what a lucky man he is! To Hermione!"

She raised her glass high in the air, everyone following suite.

"Hermione!" they chorused, lifting their glasses to the stars and drinking deeply.

Twenty minutes later, Hermione was somehow straddling Del Boy on a bench on deck as she sprayed whipped cream over his chest. At least she thought it was his chest. Her sight had gone all blurry from the shots and champagne.

"What is this I'm spraying on you?" she asked, bewildered.

"Whipped cream, pet," was his response.

"Ooooh," she cooed, "Is it creamy?"

"Well if it isn't you've been ripped off darlin'."

Hermione giggled and lowered her head to kiss him. She didn't know why she did it. She just felt like it.

"Oh _there_ you are Hermione!" Tonks shouted very loudly, yanking her roughly from Del's clutches and pulling her up deck once more. She felt so floaty now all her body parts seemed to only be working half-heartedly.

Hermione would thank her pink-haired friend forever more for saving her from that cockney bloke. She led the bride-to-be to the rest of the group, all of whom were gathering at the front of the ship where a large, grand stage had been erected from thin air. They all appeared to be waiting for something.

"What's going on?" Hermione slurred.

"You'll see!" Ginny smiled slyly, probably slurring equally as much as she was.

"Any minute now…"

Trumpets, trombones and saxophones began to play from the corner of the stage, the musician's eyes transfixed on music sheets in front of them. In her intoxication, Hermione hadn't even noticed them there.

'_Baby take off your coat…' _

Came the music, pumping from the speakers.

The women screamed in excitement and began clapping their hands.

Mad-Eye jumped out from behind a white piano, wearing a shiny black tuxedo suit and top hat; completing the 60's look smoking from a pipe. He suggestively slithered out of his jacket, his swivelling eye again, fixed on Tonks.

'_Baby take off your shoes…' _

Snape, much to the amusement of the chicks, smoothly moon-walked out from behind a white post. He was wearing the same as Mad-Eye, except puffing on a cigar instead of a pipe. He shot them his sexiest Professor look, and kicked off his Italian leather shoes.

Hermione burst out laughing as he winked at her. For the umpteenth time that night, she had to question her sanity.

'_Baby take off your dress…' _

Before Hermione could process the words, her two former professors pounced on her, pushing her robe from her shoulders. She slammed her eyes shut in mortification as two sets of hands roamed her body eagerly.

The other chicks screamed louder - some roaring with laughter, others whooping.

"THIS IS SO WRONG!" she yelled, laughing all the same.

They had managed to somehow slip her out of her purple Dumblewhore dress (Hermione was convinced they had used a spell), and was now standing in front of everyone in her red lace underwear and stockings. All the red-blooded males in the world would have stopped dead in that moment. Del Boy's mouth dropped and it was evident his pupils had dilated.

"Del Boy's got a stiff wand," Katie announced giddily, jabbing a finger towards his bulging crotch.

Ginny nudged Rodney to take a picture of Hermione on her muggle camera she had brought along. Rodney was only too happy to oblige. She hastily snatched it off him when he crouched to snap the twelfth.

'_You can leave your hat on…' _

Mad-Eye and Snape started unbuttoning their shirts, the screams of the girls growing louder as they impatiently ripped the rest open resulting in buttons popping off in all directions and rolling down the deck. They giggled impossibly harder.

"Snape's chest isn't too bad!" she heard Cho yell in Tonks's ear.

"Neither is Mad-Eye's!" she yelled back, grinning ear-to-ear.

_You should see Sirius's. _Hermione found herself thinking, before remembering that she had forbidden herself to think about him. She gulped down the last of her shot hastily and Ginny raised her eyebrows at her. She shook her head and continued to watch the steamy performance. The two men were now rubbing their lightly haired chests, and pinching their nipples.

Angelina roared with laughter and collapsed backwards into Rodney's waiting arms either from too much drink or lack of breath from laughing; Hermione wasn't sure.

'_You can leave your hat on…' _

Their fingers proceeded to the belts of the trousers, which they whipped off quickly and swung around their heads saucily before chucking them coolly into the audience. Through her sharp giggles, Hermione felt hot hands on her waist. A pit of dread mounted in her stomach.

Del Boy.

"Will you leave your hat on?" he said huskily to her in what she presumed was an attempt to sound sexy and appealing. She could feel his erection pressing against her bottom.

She wriggled away from his grasp and spun around.

"Will you leave your pants on?" she snapped.

Luna chuckled breathlessly from behind her, laughing woozily into her ear. Hermione smirked to herself. She had obviously swapped the orange juice for a stronger alternative.

'_You can leave your hat on…_'

Now their trousers were off. Their two former professors posed enthusiastically with only bright red briefs on which didn't leave much to the imagination. They were so tight you could see the outline of their manhood's without even squinting.

"Snape has really hairy legs!" Luna observed.

"Shit-a-brick I can't watch!" Tonks shrilled.

Mad-Eye shot his head to stare at her with both eyes. He didn't look away.

"Someone's getting some tonight!" Cho laughed, intending to nudge Tonks in the rib but instead knocking over Alicia's drink, "Mad-Eye's set his sights on you! Literally," she added, grinning.

"Oh, _per-lease_ Cho! He was like a dad to me before he died!"

"Exactly, you said it so yourself. Before he died. Not now."

"My _boyfriend_ is a _werewolf_. You better watch it. He might accidentally bite your head off."

The men took off their hats and placed them over their crotches. With teasing, suggestive smiles, the red briefs were off and flung into the group of girls. Snape's landed on Hermione.

"GET THEM OFF ME!" she shrieked, and flung the pair of pants behind her so fast it made her head ache.

You can guess where Mad-Eye's landed.

"Remus is not going to be happy…" was all Tonks said.

'_You can leave your hat on…'_

Simultaneously, they all clapped her hands over her eyes. They all knew what was coming next, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. Ginny made them all watch.

"No! No! NO! LISTEN TO THE SONG! LEAVE YOUR HAT_**ON**_!" Hermione wailed drunkenly.

Too late.

The girls all screamed ear-splittingly as the twosome winked and flung their hats off into the air. They landed in the river and started to float off, but no one seemed to care where they landed. They weren't looking in _that_ direction.

"Oh – my – GOD!"

"Wow," Lavender gasped, clearly impressed.

"They can't be real!" Parvarti exclaimed.

"Mine's much bigger," Del Boy commented casually through the horrified bursts of laughter the girls were currently gripped in.

* * *

><p>"Tonks and Mad-Eye, you're up next!" Del Boy called from a microphone up on the stage; he jumped down, throwing them a wink when the twosome passed him. It could have been a wink of good luck, or a wink at Tonks, or a wink at Moody – for not five minutes ago, everyone had stripped to their underwear. Somewhere along the way Hermione's Hen Party had become a night of mingling. She had just stumbled past Rodney and Angelina getting down and dirty in a lifeboat in the back of the ship and Parvarti and Cho kissing too!<p>

She couldn't deny _that_ one knocked her for six.

Hermione sipped the 'Sex on the Beach' cocktail as she watched them dizzily approach the stage; she had to drink it fast because it calmed her nerves. They would be arriving at the London Eye in ten minutes, and she **hated** heights. She was brought back to Earth as she faintly heard a phone ringing in one of the cabins.

"Gin, there's a phone ringing. In the Captain's cab-"

"_SHHH!_"

She realised why she was hushing her. The twosome had taken their positions up on stage.

Mad-Eye grabbed the microphone so aggressively he nearly knocked it over. He flashed a cheesy grin at the witch beside him before singing:

"Summer lovin' had me a blast."

She grinned at him, "Summer lovin' happened so fast."

"I met a girl, crazy for me."

"I met a boy, cute as can be."

They both looked at each other, their faces glowing in the moonlight.

"Summer days, drifting away to _uh-oh_ to those summer nights…"

Everyone jumped on stage, "**OH WELL A-WELL-A-WELL-A-HUH**!"

"Tell me more, tell me more," the girls sang.

"DID YOU GET VERY FAR?" Snape bellowed.

Ginny snorted with laughter.

"Tell me more, tell me more…"

"LIKE DID HE HAVE A CAR?" he roared, right in Hermione's face.

She jumped back, feeling genuinely frightened.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh huh…"

Tonks giggled the microphone again.

"He got friendly, holding my hand."

Moody winked, "while she got friendly down in the sand."

"He was sweet, just turned eighteen."

The girls laughed. Eighteen going on eighty more like…

"Well she was good, you know what I mean?"

"Summer heat, boy and girl meet, but uh-oh those summer nights…"

"Tell me more, tell me more…"

"HOW MUCH DOUGH DID YOU SPEND?" Snape barked.

"Tell me more, tell me more…"

"COULD SHE GET ME A FRIEND?"

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh huh…"

"It turned colder, that's where it ends…"

"So I told her, we'd still be friends…"

"Then we made our true love vow…"

"Wonder what she's doing now…"

Moody ran over to her and planted a sloppy kiss on a stunned Tonks's lips.

"Summer dreams, ripped at the seams, but uh-oh, those summer nights…!"

"**OH WELL A-WELL-A-WELL-A-HUH**!"

* * *

><p><em>Five Minutes Later.<em>

"Get in your clothes everyone; we're at the London Eye!" Ginny squealed, clapping her hands and pointing up at the huge, white tourist attraction that had been visited by millions. The Houses of Parliament could be seen just beyond it, along with Big Ben and other skyscrapers, all stretching out to touch the stars.

She turned to Hermione smiling.

"Are you ready to face your fear?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"I'm shitting myself."

"Oh. They were sexy knickers as well."

Hermione swatted her over the head.

* * *

><p>Sirius leant his forehead against the cold glass of red muggle phone box. His nerves were squirming in his stomach like worms under his very skin. Every so often he would glance over his shoulder in paranoia at his local pub behind him, trying to determine the final decision of an everlasting battle in his mind to ring or not to ring. Biting his nails nervously, he punched in the numbers scribbled on a piece of ripped parchment and wait till it started ringing. Sirius found himself muttering 'come on, come on, come on' as he tapped his hand, even though a huge part of him didn't want anyone to pick up. His mind was whirling like a tornado, so many things he had to say and utterly clueless how to say it to her in the little time they had. The phone rang twice, three times, four times, five, to no answer. Six times, seven, eight, nine… still no response.<p>

"I'm sorry but the person you have called is currently unavailable to take your call, please leave your message after the tone," said a posh, clear voice of a woman.

*BEEP*

"H-hello, its Sirius. I just need to speak to Hermione. Mione, Mione… – oh God – am I really leaving you a message? Er – oh shit – I – er - for fucks sake I should never have called in the first place… I'm sorry – I-I-I just wanted to talk to you before the wedding. I didn't know whether you'd be still home or not… but of course you're not. The boat-" Sirius cleared his throat sheepishly, and slammed his eyes shut in horror. This was going terribly. Why was it you always realised it was the worst idea possible when you were halfway through doing it?

"Clearly you aren't around," he mumbled, his voice trailing off, "anyway, I just – just wanted to hear… hear your voice… before – seeing as it may be the last time I'll hear it, and I couldn't – couldn't bear the fault of not seeing you or hearing you speak to me, or even look at me again…" he gnawed at his lip and he rubbed his moist eyes, "I wanted to… I just wanted to know how you are. It feels like an age since I last saw you, yet it's only been three months… and not a second goes by that you aren't on my mind, Mione… Oh – I'm sorry I – I said the wrong thing – look – what I wanted to say is: you're – you're doing the right thing in marrying him… I realise now that… that maybe you and I weren't… meant to be, as I thought we was. I just want you to be h-happy, okay? S'long as you know that, baby. When you get on the boat or – or if you're on it now… throw away the letter I wrote to you in the river. Promise me you will. I-I know that saying 'throw it away' may want you to read it, but please… it won't help you in anyway. Nothing it says you need to hear… if I felt it was so important, I would have told you now…" he glanced back at the pub door and back again, "anyway, I'd best leave you to stun everyone by your beauty. All the best, be happy and take care, Mione. I hope Albert grows to be as lovely as you are. If our son grows to be half the person you are then I will die a happy man," he croaked, his grey eyes welling with stinging tears.

He swallowed hard.

"I love you."

He coughed slightly as hot tears trickled down his cheeks and he breathed in, praying that he would have the courage to hang up the phone.

"I love you Hermione. I always will. Goodbye and good luck baby," he said hoarsely, and slammed it back on the receiver before he could tell himself otherwise.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Thank you guys for all your support, it's coming up to the last chapters now. Lots of love :)**_

_**P.S yes you will read Sirius's letter! PATIENCE CHILDREN! **_


	11. Goodbyes

_A/N: So this is the second to last chapter. I'm going to tell you now, as I said last chapter: prepare the tissues, just in case. I cried while writing this, but then again I cried at 'Elf' so you might be alright! I wrote the last section listening to 'Rose's Theme' from Titanic. Please listen to that song as your reading it. It will set the atmosphere of the scene perfectly and make the whole scene more heartfelt. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11 – Goodbyes<strong>

"_I refuse to get on. No way. I'll get the Knight Bus."_

"_Come on love, I'll be right behind you. I won't let you fall," Sirius assured her. _

_He was standing next to his beloved flying motorbike, wearing his rough and rugged leather jacket and looking more at home than Hermione had ever seen him. She crossed her arms and glared at him._

"_No!"_

"_Why? What's wrong?"_

"_You know how I feel about heights."_

"_Well forget it. I'm with you. Nothing will happen Hermione, I promise."_

_Hermione took a hesitant step towards the bike and stopped. _

"_The engine! It could stop in mid-air and leave us falling to our death!"_

_Sirius barked a laugh and took her hands in his. _

"_It won't. I've fixed everything, and it's working perfectly."_

_Hermione still didn't look convinced. _

"_Look," he sighed, pulling her towards him, "do you really think I would tell you to get on the bike if I didn't think it was safe? Hermione, trust me. I'm not going to let anything hurt you."_

_He kissed her lips chastely._

"_I've got you, alright?"_

_After a full two minutes of biting her lip, she finally nodded and met him for a quick kiss again before swinging her leg over the bike. Sirius followed suite and settled behind her, one arm stretched over her to grab the handlebar and the other wrapped around her waist. _

_He tapped his wand twice and the engine roared into life. _

"_Ready?" he shouted over the noise. _

_She gripped his hand in response and wriggled further into his firm chest, shutting her eyes as she did so. _

_Her breathing became heavier as she felt the bike moving and rising higher and higher into the air. _

_Five minutes later, Hermione was still hidden in the crook of Sirius's neck. _

"_Open your eyes, love," he murmured into her ear. _

_She remained silent, opting to pretend that she was asleep. Sirius didn't fall for it. He chuckled and nibbled on a soft spot behind her ear. _

"_Keep your eyes on the road!" she hissed. _

"_I am. Open your eyes 'Mione."_

"_No Sirius, will you – OH!" _

_She snapped her head up in order to lecture him further but stared around her in awe instead. The sun was setting orange in the sky, pastel colours clouding around it and contrasting with the black-blue of the ocean. She wondered how high up they were, but the thought left her mind as quickly as it came. She didn't care about that now. She was calm, no longer scared. She was at peace. Where was this place?_

"_I came here when I was on the run," he said, as if reading her mind, "the colourful, tropical birds, remember?" _

_Hermione smiled and brought up his hand to her lips to kiss his knuckles. _

"_It's lovely."_

Hermione knew her experience with heights this time wasn't going to be as lovely. Deep down she knew why, too.

_Because Sirius isn't with me._

She blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall and plastered a bright, teeth-glistening smile for Ginny.

"Goodness! Would you look at that!" she exclaimed enthusiastically as the girls were guided to the front entrance of the London Eye. Hermione wasn't oblivious to the huge queue and the fact that they were taken straight to the front, no questions asked.

"Hermione Granger?" said a man dressed in a uniform of the British colours – red, white and blue. He had a very posh voice.

"I'm Martin," he smiled, "I'm told that you have quite a fright when it comes to heights."

She took his extended white-gloved hand.

"Yes," she confirmed, allowing to be shown to their glass pod.

He chortled, "not to worry madam, you are in very safe hands. The London Eye has been running for many years, and has seen thirty eight and a half million people step up into its capsules! Enjoy the experience madam; it shall be a one like no other."

He opened the glass door and Hermione, trembling, stepped in.

"And here's a little something to give you to ease your nerves," he said, presenting her with a bottle of champagne.

"Thank you," she smiled.

He returned the smile and bowed to her before heading off to attend to the rest of the girls.

Ginny didn't need his help. She bounced on.

"I've always wanted to go on this!" she squealed, "it's always in the – the," she leant forward to Hermione, "the _muggle_ newspapers. Don't stop harping on about it."

Hermione didn't reply.

Ginny caught on how she was feeling and rubbed her arm comfortingly.

"You heard the man. You'll be fine," she reassured her.

Hermione grimaced and opened the bottle of champagne with her teeth, however unladylike it was.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked in a voice full of concern.

Hermione took a large swig from the bottle.

"It's just…"

She took another swig.

"I – I miss…"

She took another swig. Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"You miss… Albert?"

"Of course I miss Albert. I've never been away from him for more than two days… but – but that's not just it. I miss… I miss _him_ as well."

Ginny took the bottle from her and had a few swigs herself.

"Him meaning Oliver?"

Hermione dropped her eyes to the floor. She should have been thinking of Oliver. In a way, she wished she was. At least then it would stop her from feeling so guilty that actually, she was thinking of someone else.

"No," she said, "him meaning…Sirius. We always tackled my fear of heights together. He understood why I didn't like them, but he'd make me do it. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He held me and told me that he wouldn't let me fall…"

Hermione knew that the alcohol had loosened her tongue, because she found herself not wanting to stop speaking about Sirius.

"Oh Gin, I miss him so much! Should I be thinking about him like this? He's – he's my last thought before I go to sleep and my first thought waking up, whilst I'm lying there sharing a bed with another man! Oliver is the nicest man on Earth, and I've become the world's biggest bitch and he doesn't even know it! I feel terrible!"

Ginny nearly choked on the champagne she was swallowing.

Tonks bounded on and smacked her on the back.

"Everything alright?" she grinned.

Ginny cleared her throat with streaming eyes, "yeah. Yeah, fine. Just drank it too fast."

Tonks turned away to chat with the other girls, missing the look Ginny and Hermione exchanged.

They couldn't pick up from where their conversation left off for the whole ride.

"WE'RE AT THE TOP!" Parvarti screamed, "look! Look! There's Big Ben!"

"Oh, it's wonderful," Lavender sighed.

"Hermione, look! You have to see this! You can see everything!" Angelina enthused, tugging on Hermione's arm.

Hermione couldn't get up and look out the glass windows of their pod. She would probably be sick with anxiety. She couldn't do it without Sirius. She needed him.

_No. You need Oliver._

"Come on, Hermione," Luna whined, "it really is magical!"

"Magical is what muggles say, Luna," Ginny reminded her.

"Remember when we all used to call you Looney Lovegood?" Katie chimed in.

"Oh yeah!" giggled Alicia, "wonder why you got that nickname ay?"

"We love you for it though Luna," Lavender smiled.

The other girls nodded and Luna beamed.

"Do you remember when you hid my shoes on the last day of term?" she asked Lavender.

Lavender rolled her eyes, "yes and I'm sorry about that. I was _such_ a bitch!"

She mimed putting a gun to her head and firing it.

The girls fell about in drunken laughter. Even Hermione did, even if it was only half-heartedly. The bottle was passed back to her and she finished it off with smacking lips.

"Hermione, open your eyes! _NOW_!" Tonks shrilled, pulling her up and shoving her towards the glass.

She had a feeling that stubbornness just ran in the Black blood, as well as her own. Albert was going to be one stubborn little boy…

Hermione still had her hands covering her eyes, and could feel Tonks clawing at them to pull them away. She could just imagine Sirius now, murmuring sweet persuasions in her ear.

'_Stand close to me love… that's it. I'm right behind you. I'm not going anywhere. Open your eyes for me, 'Mione. If you don't all your reading on the London Eye would have been for fuck all…' _

Slowly, Hermione opened her eyes.

Big Ben, Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, Post Office Tower, Houses of Parliament and Hyde Park, along with the black lanterns and black cabs, red telephone boxes and cobbled streets of London were winking at her from below. They were so high up, she felt light-headed; but that could have just been from the drinking.

She grinned ear-to-ear, feeling incredibly proud of herself and knowing that somewhere, Sirius would be proud of her too.

**XXXX**

Sirius took a few minutes to pull himself together before stepping out the telephone box and back into the pub. He didn't want his son to see him looking so cut up. This would be something he would just have to deal with himself. Except he had no idea how. How could you live without the person you love?

He dragged his feet back into the pub and over to the table where Remus was sitting with Albert on his lap, playing with a miniature broomstick.

"How did it go?" Remus asked.

Sirius slumped back down at the table and got started on his new pint that Remus had bought for him in preparation.

"She didn't pick up," he mumbled gloomily, "so I left her a message."

"What did you say?"

"To throw away the letter, that I want her to marry Oliver, and that I love her."

Remus stared at him in disbelief.

"What?" Sirius snapped.

He shook his head, "you told her that she should marry Oliver, and _then_ you told her you love her?"

Sirius continued to gulp down his drink.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong is that you don't want her to marry Oliver at all! It's killing you that she's going through with it, I've known you since we were eleven Sirius, I can tell! Why on _earth_ did you say that?"

"So what if it's killing me? I don't care for myself. Life hasn't exactly been kind to me; I can take a few more punches. I just want her to be happy, Remus. Merlin, if she is, then at least I can sleep knowing that all my pain isn't for nothing."

Remus stayed silent for a few minutes, and when he did speak, it was in an admiring tone.

"You are the most loyal man I have ever known, Sirius. I think you need to give yourself some credit. You deserve happiness too."

He smiled bitterly.

"My chances of happiness fucked off when she accepted his proposal, Moony. But I've still got my boy. Oliver's not taking my Al away from me as well as 'Mione."

He set his empty glass down and leant across the table to pick Albert up when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He immediately tensed. Could it be…? No. Why even think that? She was in London. Still, he could hope…

He turned around and was met with… his face dropped.

Madam Rosmerta.

She was wearing her usual low cut and revealing tops, with a tight skirt and boot heels that rose to the knee. Her make-up was bad and overdone, and her straight hair falling plainly to her shoulders like straw. One look at her and she was screaming '_Take me!_ _Take me!_' as clear as day.

"Oh," he said, not even trying to hide his disappointment.

"Nice to see you too, Sirius," she smirked, "I must say… you're looking rather lonely tonight. Need someone to kiss you all better?"

Sirius rose from his chair.

"Don't you dare!" he growled, "my three year old son is with me, he doesn't need to be hearing stuff like that coming from a – well, a slut. Why are you here?"

"It's my cousin's pub," she spat, "I have every right to be here. And don't call me that, there was a time when you were pining for me. Pining for me like a dog."

Sirius burst out laughing.

"Don't kid yourself sweetheart. I never touched you," he looked her up and down with disgust, "I don't know where you've been."

Her eyes flashed menacingly and she stalked off. Sirius didn't look back. He didn't care. He wasn't interested in her. He never had been. The only woman that he pined for like a dog was Hermione.

He watched his son proudly for a few moments, seeing Hermione in him so clearly, even though he was the infant version of himself. He leaned over and lifted him from Remus's lap and placed him in his own.

"Albert, give you dad a kiss, he needs cheering up," Remus said to the toddler.

Albert clutched his dad's hair in a small fist and bumped his head against his dad's cheek – a three year olds interpretation of a kiss. Sirius beamed with pride.

"Daddy, why you sad?"

"I'm fine, son."

Albert was quiet for a moment.

"Where's mummy?" he piped up.

"She's in London, having lots of fun with her friends," Sirius replied, "you'll be with her tomorrow."

Albert noticed his dad's voice change and how he looked away quickly.

"Daddy, you are sad!" he shouted, pointing a finger at him.

Remus and Sirius exchanged slightly amused glances, both thinking the same thing. _Hermione. _

"Your dad misses your mummy," Remus said matter-of-factly, ignoring the angry look Sirius threw him.

"You do?" Albert breathed, his grey eyes wide with bursting excitement.

Sirius nodded.

"Why don't _you_ marry her then?" Albert demanded.

_Oh if only it was that simple._

Sirius threw another look at Remus. A 'now look what you've done' kind of look.

"Oliver can go away," Albert carried on, "I told you, he _smells!_"

Sirius couldn't help but grin broadly and ruffle his head of curly black-brown locks as if his son had just said the most profound thing.

**XXXX**

Countless flashes of cameras were going off as Hermione posed in the pod of the London Eye, probably looking much worse than she did when she had left the Burrow.

"You look amazing as usual," Ginny commented, as if reading her mind.

After the amazing half an hour on the London Eye, they were escorted to Greenwich in London by cab, where they again skipped the giant queues. They simply flashed their VIP passes and were shown straight in.

Hermione again – as she had done the whole night – had to marvel at how much the night as all costing. Ginny was remaining tight-lipped whenever she asked. Perhaps she would spill the beans over a few more shots in the club…

They were greeted to plenty of wolf-whistles as the ten girls entered the VIP area. They must have been loud because they heard them over the pumping music.

Hermione felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Could it be…? What was she thinking? Of course Sirius wasn't here. The thought was almost laughable. But still, she could hope…

She turned around. A man was holding offering her drink and smiling warmly. He was quite handsome, Hermione noted, with his messy blonde surfer hair, ocean-blue eyes, pearly white teeth and tight button up shirt. _Not bad_, she thought, not bad at all.

"Hi," he said, "I'm Johnny. Fancy a drink?"

She smiled and accepted. Anything to drown her sorrows. An image of Sirius was still imprinted in her brain.

"Thanks."

"What's your name?" he asked her.

"Hermione."

"Hermione? That's a lovely name. Named after one of the Ancient Greek Gods am I right?"

She nodded, "wow. I'm impressed Jimmy-"

"Johnny," he laughed.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," she giggled, "I'm impressed with your knowledge. How did you know?"

He shrugged, "I read a lot."

"Really? So do I!"

"Well, this is small world!"

She giggled again.

"What kind of books do you read?"

"Oh, you know… everything. I especially love poetry."

Hermione's jaw dropped.

"This is _too_ weird! I love poetry!"

"Maybe we're soul mates," he winked.

She grinned and placed her hand on his chest, "maybe."

She downed a tequila shot given to her by Angelina.

"Fancy a dance?" Johnny shouted over the increasingly loud music.

Hermione nodded woozily, took his hand and was led into the crowd of dancers in the middle of the club.

Three songs later and he had already tried to kiss her four times. And all four she nearly let him. The worst thing was, was that she wanted to. It was Hen Party and she was drunk out of her wits; she was allowed to kiss the odd guy if she felt like it. And this guy was gorgeous. Why was she stopping herself then?

She didn't even have to answer that.

Of course it was Sirius.

She cursed herself repeatedly in her head. Why was he still effecting her like this? She couldn't think about him. Guilt was wriggling inside her like worms. Oliver needed her. She wasn't going to let him down.

"Hermione…" Johnny's voice broke her thoughts.

He leant in to kiss her.

_Let him. Let him. Let him. _

He pressed his lips against hers and immediately his tongue started penetrating her; darting in and out of her mouth so speedily she couldn't make up her mind if she enjoyed it or not.

She imagined it was Sirius's lips kissing her. So soft, so gentle, so warm as they expertly moved over hers. The difference was, Sirius knew what he was doing. Johnny clearly didn't. Or was it Jimmy?

"Johnny – Jimmy – Johnny – _stop!_"

She pushed him off of her and weaved her way in and out of the wild dancers before he could call her back.

"Ginny?" she called, "Ginny?"

"Yeah babe?" a voice called from their table.

Hermione breathed out in relief.

"Ginny, I need to talk to you-"

She stopped in her tracks. Ginny was sitting in their table's booth with another man whom she was holding hands with and sitting uncomfortably close to, openly flirting.

Ginny beckoned her over.

Hermione opened her mouth to shriek at her, but Ginny got there first.

"Herms, meet Sebastian," she said giddily, "he's _gay!_"

"Oh lovely!" Hermione laughed, a wave of relief rippling through her again, "do you have Sirius's number Gin?"

Ginny eyed her suspiciously.

"And what if I did?"

"Please Gin. I just need to speak to him."

Ginny stared at her for a few seconds before nodding and rising from her seat.

"Terribly, terribly sorry Sebastian. We'll talk more about cock preferences later, yes?"

**XXXX**

"Right," Ginny said when they reached the phone box outside, "here it is."

She gave her a piece of parchment with a number written on.

"What are you going to say to him?"

"Whatever feels right."

She exhaled deeply and took it with shaky hands, picked up the phone and dialled the number.

"I'll – I'll wait outside," Ginny told her.

The phone was ringing. Ringing. Ringing. It rang a few more moments before the posh voice of the woman spoke, informing her that the person she was trying to call was unavailable.

She could have cried.

"Please leave your message after the tone," said the woman.

The beep sounded and suddenly Hermione felt exposed.

"Hi Sirius… it's H-Hermione. I hope you're okay. I'm a bit drunk, but I'm calling because… because," she sniffed and wiped away a stray tear falling from her lashes, "because I miss you. So – so much."

Was she honestly admitting all this to him now? By voicemail? This was insane. She wasn't thinking straight. She had to end it now before she confessed anything more.

_Oliver._

"I'm sorry I-I have to go…"

She dropped the phone to the receiver and bolted out of there, the confined space making her feel claustrophobic.

She reached a waiting Ginny and threw up violently into the bin next to her.

A blur of pink hair rushed to her side and began rubbing her back soothingly, Ginny holding back her hair. Hermione felt awful. She supposed she was never going to see out her Hen Party without being sick at least once.

This wasn't from the alcohol, and she knew it. It was from guilt. She shouldn't have called Sirius, let alone left him message. She was engaged to Oliver, and they were getting married tomorrow. He would be distraught if he found out that she'd tried to call her ex the day before their wedding. She couldn't help but feel she was being selfish. Oliver had given her a home when she had no one to turn to, had done nothing but try and make her feel comfortable and was in general, a lovely person. And she was pushing him away.

He didn't deserve that.

The other girls all ran out of the club as fast as their heels could carry them too. All of them by her side, encouraging her to get it all out of her system. They were there for her, every single one of them. And Hermione knew in that moment, she was never more appreciative of her friends.

**XXXX**

"Straight sets, I win!" Remus yelled, placing his set of cards down on the table and grinning smugly.

"Ah, no. What a shame…" Sirius sighed, "…for you. Royal flush, mate!"

He slammed his cards on the table triumphantly and gathered the pile of wizarding money into a pouch, which he then chucked to Remus.

"What are you doing?" he said, "you won. The money is yours."

Sirius clucked his tongue.

"As if I need it! I've got too many galleons to know what to do with… here, take it, and get Tonks something nice. Make up for your argument."

Remus nodded and thanked him.

"No problem," Sirius replied airily, hoisting a sleeping Albert higher onto his shoulder, "I'd best get going. Al's out for the night, I think. Thanks for tonight, mate. You've helped me take my mind off things…"

"Pleasure as always Pads," Remus chuckled, shaking his hand, "I may as well walk down the hill to your house with you."

**XXXX**

Hermione blinked her eyes open, not remembering when she had ever fallen asleep. She was still outside, that's for sure. She had goose bumps.

"…so what else have you never done before?" came the slurring voice of Katie.

"I've never…" Lavender pondered, "popped a balloon."

"I've never ridden on a horse, and I've always wanted to," Hermione spoke, her voice thick with sleep and rough from the alcohol.

"HERMIONE!" they all chorused.

"You're awake!" Ginny gasped.

"How long was I asleep for?"

"Not long. About half an hour."

Hermione groaned.

"I bet I look like shit."

"Quite the contrary actually," Parvarti said, "Ginny did your make up for you when you were sleeping. You look the same as you did at the start of the night. Completely and utterly stunning in other words."

"Oh, and don't forget the minty breath spell," Alicia interjected, turning to Hermione, "your breath stank sweetheart."

"But anyway! You've never been on a horse?" Tonks boomed at her, obviously not knowing how loud she was speaking.

"I've been on sixteen," Luna boasted, "but eight of them were donkeys, so technically I have been on… eight."

"Don't see the attraction of riding a donkey to be honest," Hermione laughed, "but a horse on the other hand-"

"Why don't you then? You can do it before tomorrow! The night is still young!" Angelina urged her.

"I know this great field in the country, we could go there now. It's got tons of horses in, and because it's so late, the farmers won't be there!" Ginny almost screamed in excitement.

The others were already up and linking arms, preparing to apparate. They were all at the stage of drunkenness where anything you say sounded like an amazing idea. Hermione was pulled up by Ginny.

"Are you in the right mind to apparate?" Hermione asked her uncertainly.

"Says the girl that's just been sick," she scoffed.

Hermione rolled her eyes and clasped her hand.

"4…3…2…1…"

**XXXX **

_**AN: listen to 'Rose's Theme' Titanic on you tube now! **_

_** watch?v=OSZCFFpix2g**_

"I need to buy some tissues for tomorrow though Moony – or should I say today? What's the time?"

"I'm not sure, I did have a watch on but it appears I have misplaced it… goodness I am so unorganised…"

"You and Tonks are well suited."

"MUMMY!" Albert roared as loud as his little lungs could.

Sirius didn't quite register what his son had said for a minute. He thought he was asleep. Maybe it was his head playing tricks on him. Had Moony heard him say it as well? Albert shouted it again. And Sirius stopped dead. His heart hammering against his rib-cage at such force it hurt to breathe. He definitely heard _that_.

He followed his eyes to the direction where Albert was shouting and pointing to.

Hermione was standing in the field opposite the pub, looking humorously out of place in a spine tingling sexy outfit which accented every curve of her body, her hair cascading freely down her shoulders in loose curls. She was effortless. She was looking at the two of them with huge, glistening eyes and a smile twitching her lips which Sirius knew he was returning.

His smile only grew, as did hers, as a horse bent low behind her and began sniffing her behind with great interest. He wished he could pause life at this moment, the first time they had laid eyes on each other in God knows how many months, and take the time to absorb the sight of her.

The beauty of her made his eyes water, his legs turn to jelly, his stomach churn with butterflies and his heart melt. He knew she would always have this effect on him till the end of his days.

She began stumbling over the long grass towards the father and son, losing her balance on the uneven ground which she walked in high heels. Sirius felt himself moving towards her too, rushing some would say, like a scene in a movie, where two hearts hurtle towards one another from either side of the street, knocking things out of the way as they go.

He didn't slow down till he reached her, a giant hedge which Hermione was standing the other side of, blocking them from being reunited. They couldn't even '_Reducto_' this beast.

Desperate pain clawed in his eyes as he looked at her, with the pain reflected in her own, being so close yet so far away from each other they couldn't touch. She bit her lip in frustration, an expression that could be only described as pleading etched on her beautiful face.

That did it for Sirius.

"Get on my back Al," he said urgently, "and don't let go, son."

Albert did as he was told. As soon as he felt his little boy's hands fold around his neck from behind him, he started to climb. The brambles cut him as he shouldered his way through, but he felt nothing of the blood that trickled down his hands; it was nothing compared to the pining of his heart for his witch who was standing… so close.

"Sirius!" she breathed, as he shoved a thick stinging nettle (which Albert kicked again) away from him. He pushed through a nest of nettles, hoisting Albert higher on his back so he could remain unhurt. Tears clung to her lashes as she watched him.

She sobbed outright when he charged through the last of the nettles to finally get to her.

"Hermione!" he cried, her name sounding so tremulous and soft on his lips. He shifted Albert from his shoulders to his hip, but his eyes never moved from hers.

She flung her arms around him, whispering his name over and over as if she was finally releasing all her thoughts of him from her head, for she was with him now in the flesh.

She was being cuddled by him, embraced and cherished by him. His love for her in his touch and the way his grey eyes were almost black with passion and lust. It was the three of them, as they should be, and for the first time they felt like a proper family.

Something that had been denied them for so long.

"I love you Hermione," he spoke solemnly, "I love you and I always will. Till I die. _Forever_."

They kissed then. More wholly and intimately than they ever had before. Hermione could think of nothing, nothing except Sirius, and the way his tongue caressed hers so possessively and gently all at once. The gaping hole in her bosom ever so slowly, being refilled where this man belonged.

Their wet tears merged together hot and stinging as they ran down their faces, their lips pressed to one another's, sealing the simple fact that they were meant to be kissed by none other.

Their love was illicit, for she was to become someone else's in a matter of hours, and they both knew it.

Their kiss lasted for an eternity. Whenever one would break the kiss for breath, the other would recapture their lips again and become lost in the euphoria, drunk off their trapped feelings.

Hermione wondered if this was what it felt like to find your soul mate. She knew it was.

"I feel whole again," he whispered, "I feel like I could conjure up a million patronuses with all the happiness I feel right now. All because of you."

She smiled sweetly and kissed him again.

"I never thought of you as a romantic," she teased.

"You're the only one who's ever witnessed it."

She shook her head, "why me?"

"You fascinate me. Everything about you. You make my heart beat so fast. Look-"

He brought her hand to the centre of his chest. His eyes locked with hers as she felt the definite rapid thumping of his heart.

"Mine too," she muttered, and brought his hand to her breast.

They embraced again.

"I – love – you," he said between kisses.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled.

"I don't tell you enough."

"Are you going through with the wedding tomorrow?" Sirius's husky voice murmured against her neck. She could feel his lips perk into a smile.

He closed his eyes as her fingers danced through his hair, scratching heavenly on his sculp.

"I-I-I'm not sure," Hermione whispered, "you don't want me to marry him do you?"

He swallowed hard, "All I want is for you to be happy. I'll do anything to make it happen, and if that means standing aside and letting you go then I will…"

Hermione looked up at him in confusion, which then quickly transformed to realisation. She didn't know what to say. Sirius had never been easy to read, but now he was being clearer than ever.

"You want me to marry Oliver?"

Sirius wrapped her tighter around him.

"If that's what makes you happy. Then yes."

It seemed each word was killing him.

"All I've ever done is hurt you and make you miserable. Oliver has never done that. I've said things about you which I still haven't forgiven myself for. You deserve someone better Hermione. Someone who could treat you like a Princess all the time. Although I hate the man, I know he would. Marry him, and promise me you'll be happy," he croaked, his eyes capturing hers so intensely it was like she was spellbound.

"Daddy, no!" Albert whimpered into his neck.

Sirius kissed his son's hair lovingly and hushed him.

"Mummy knows daddy's doing the right thing," he murmured, his eyes never leaving Hermione's.

She didn't know what to feel, so she didn't say anything. The one thing that hurt more than anything, was that she knew he was right. He upset her too often, and Oliver never did. She had to do what was best for her and for Albert in the long-run.

He knew she had made her decision right then, and he smiled bitterly.

"Here, you take Albert now," he said, trying his best to remain standing and not slump to the floor in despair.

'_As long as she's happy' _he kept muttering over and over in his head.

Hermione took Albert from Sirius's arms and brought him to lay his head on her breast. She could feel him shaking as she held him close. He was crying, she knew it. Their three year old son shouldn't have witnessed this. Sirius obviously felt the same, for he stroked his infant's hair and planted a soft kiss on his forehead.

"You'll still see me Al, daddy's not going anywhere," he assured him, his own voice cracking with silent sobs.

"You and mummy were meant to be together!" the boy wailed, "I dreamt you were happy together! It was in my dream!"

Hermione was crying too as she attempted to calm Albert down, but it was no use. He was distraught, his tiny, innocent face streaked with wet tears.

Sirius pulled Hermione close to him and coiled both arms around her waist, so Albert was in the middle of them.

"Look, son. Listen to me," he whispered, gently taking his tiny hand in his. Albert turned to look at him, his damp grey eyes wide like they were when he read him a bed-time story.

"Just because you love someone it doesn't mean you should be with them," Sirius began, "I love your mummy, but – but right now, it is better that she is with Oliver, because they are happy together. And we want mummy to be happy don't we?"

Albert sniffled, but nodded. Sirius pulled a smile onto his face and wiped away the last of his son's tears from his cheeks.

"Well done sweetheart," Hermione encouraged him, bobbing him up and down, "kiss your daddy goodbye and then you can go and play with Auntie Ginny."

Albert kissed Sirius on the cheek, Sirius in turned cradling his little body to his chest. Sirius handed him back to Hermione, and, before the toddler started crying again, she whipped around and scurried towards Ginny and the horses.

Sirius waited for her to return.

When she did, he pulled her wordlessly into a tight embrace, rubbing her back soothingly as she cried into his neck. How did their meeting end like this? Not ten minutes ago you couldn't prise their tongues from one another's mouths, and now they were saying goodbye and possibly for good.

"You don't read that letter 'Mione. Not after all this. After the hard bit is over, move on."

By the 'hard bit' he meant saying goodbye.

"I'll miss you," Hermione wept, "and I'm sorry it has to end like this."

"Shush, don't be sorry. Be happy baby. And know that I will never stop loving you."

Their eyes met, locked together like they were frozen, never looking away. Was this to be the last time he ever looked into her bewitchingly beautiful eyes? Was it possible for a being to look so completely out of this world angelic? Because Hermione did. Even with the tears escaping the corners of her eyes.

Her fingers brushed over his stubbly goatee which made her shiver with the roughness of it, yet she loved the texture. Her fingers moved to his lips, which were moist and soft to the touch.

"Come here," he murmured against her fingers, and painfully slowly, lowered his head to catch her lips.

There were no lashing tongues, no movement of the heads. It was a kiss that screamed innocence; it was still, and for the outside world they could have been put on 'pause'. Only they knew they weren't.

It was kiss you would want to savour the taste of, a kiss you would replay in your mind each time your eyes closed. It was a kiss of unsaid things, a kiss of love, and most of all, a kiss of goodbye.

And then he stepped back, distancing himself away from her.

"If I don't go now, I won't be able to leave," he said to her in a voice of a broken man.

"Be happy Hermione," he pled of her, and then he left.

He turned his back on her, and walked back through the hedge he had fought through to be reunited with her. And left it with shaky steps as he departed her.

Hermione watched him leave with agonising eyes. The wet tears continued to seep out of her uncontrollably, all the while knowing that he was going to live a life of bitterness and despair, just to make her happy.

He really did love her, because he was letting her go.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Don't tell me I didn't warn you!**_


	12. Unsaid Things

_The last chapter! I LOVE YOU GUYS._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12 – Unsaid Things<strong>

* * *

><p>"Where's Hermione?"<p>

"I-I don't know-"

"Last time I saw her she was with you-"

"I've done her hair and make-up…"

"She said she was going to the bathroom-"

"Why?"

"I don't know, what do people usually do when they go to the bathroom?" Ginny snapped sarcastically at her mother.

Tonks strolled into the room, whistling the 'Here Comes the Bride' tune. The seven other Bridesmaids followed her.

Molly slapped her hand against her forehead in exasperation.

"The Rolls Royce is outside! We have to be there in _one hour_ and we can't find the bride!"

"_WHAT?_"

Tonks looked as if she were about to faint.

"Finally someone has realised the situation we have on our hands!" Molly snarled.

"Where can we find her?" Cho asked.

"There could be loads of places…"

"We have to start looking for her now!" Katie cried.

"Are you sure she'd want us looking for her? She'll come to us in her own time… it's a shock…" Luna queried absent-mindedly.

"_In her own time? _The wedding is in one hour! We are meant to be leaving now!" Molly ranted.

The Bridesmaids exchanged uneasy, helpless looks.

"We'll all go out and look for her," Ginny confirmed in a shaky voice of nerves, "we'll just have to hope she's in one of the places we look…"

"We'll floo her and Oliver's flat," Katie and Alicia said.

"I'll go to… Hogwarts?" Parvarti speculated.

Ginny nodded, "anywhere. Look anywhere. She can't be far."

"YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Molly roared, "YOU ARE HER BRIDESMAIDS! WE CAN'T HAVE YOU ALL RUNNING OFF SEARCHING FOR HER! WE'LL HAVE TO GO TO THE SERVICE AND PRAY TO MERLIN SHE TURNS UP!"

There was a minute of eerie silence followed by a creaking of a door.

"Is that you shouting Mrs Weasley?"

Hermione poked her head around the door and stepped in, beaming at the mother's hot and bothered face.

"Oh, I thought it was you," she grinned.

"_Hermione!_" Molly and a few others chorused, "where have you _been_?"

"I bumped into Fred and George on the way to the bathroom," Hermione explained, "they held me up. Not much of a surprise is it?" She rolled her eyes, "but I'm here now."

She looked around at her Bridesmaids.

"Aren't you meant to be at the beach already? The Bride...er- I mean - _me_ - the maid of honour, Gin, and the Albert the page boy are meant to be the last to arrive aren't they? I mean_ - we?_"

They all exchanged half amused, half exasperated looks and one after the other, ran for the door shouting good luck wishes.

When they all left, Molly pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good luck Hermione dear. You look absolutely breath-taking. Oliver won't know what hit him!" she chuckled, rubbing her arm fondly, "don't be nervous, darling. This is only the start of your life together."

Hermione wasn't sure if that was meant to sound reassuring or not, but she smiled and thanked her anyway.

The closing of the door indicated that she and Ginny were the only ones left. Hermione turned to her quickly.

"Is Oliver still here?"

"Of course he isn't, he would have left ages ago. The groom has to be there at the Venue to greet the guests and everything! Hermione – are you okay?"

"Yes! I-I mean no… I mean – yes – I'm _fine_. I'm just so nervous!"

Ginny grabbed the Bride-to-be's hands and shook her.

"You're going to be fine!"

Hermione sighed hysterically.

"Where's Albert? I need my baby."

Ginny patted her shoulder.

"He's waiting for you downstairs. He's coming in the car with us. Oh Herms he looks so cute."

As if on cue Albert pushed open the door. Her son, just about reaching her knee, was wearing a miniature page boy outfit. A white shirt, red tie, trousers, waistcoat and blazer. His hair was just as untamed as it always had been and his eyes greyer than ever. He was biting his bottom lip with his baby teeth sheepishly yet cheekily at the same time. Cute was an understatement. She'd never seen him look so smart, so adorable or _so_ like Sirius.

The three year old hurtled into her arms, hugging her tightly.

"Daddy wears one of these!" Albert hooted happily, pointing to his tiny waistcoat.

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yes he does, darling. Except his one is much bigger."

Albert nodded and snuggled his head into her neck.

"I miss him."

Hermione couldn't speak. If she did, she wasn't sure if she could keep the tears at bay.

Her son looked up at her when she didn't reply.

"He misses you mummy. He got sad when Unca Remus said your name. He told me that he loves you very very very very VERY much," Albert said knowingly and returned to snuggling her neck.

A gush of warmth flooded her heart. _Sirius. _

It was all because of Sirius. The fiery ball of sick and nerves in her stomach churned, and again she had to ask herself if she was doing the right thing. Ginny had said she was, but had she meant it really? If this was the right thing, then why was she finding it so hard?

Her stomach lurched and she cradled her three year old tighter.

She needed some fresh air. She needed to think. And she just so happened to know the very place.

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes to go and Oliver was getting nervous. He had been nervous all day, all week, all month in fact. It was good nerves though. His father had once told him that if you didn't get nervous, you weren't human.<p>

He briefly wondered if Hermione was nervous… He knew she would be. She always got nervous before her exams back at Hogwarts, even though she'd spent more hours revising than she had done sleeping in the year leading up to them. Had she put as much effort into their relationship as she had done in her exams? It was a strange thought. He didn't know why it had sprung to mind, but it made him feel uneasy all the same.

He was standing at the front of the pier of Felixstowe beach, his best man alongside him (beater at Puddlemere United Quidditch team) Bradley Hall, and at least a hundred wedding guests seated behind him in stripy deck chairs as if they were really here to soak up the sun. The amount of hands he had shook today was staggering, as well as the amount of women's cheeks he had kissed in greeting.

The faces became a blur after a while. In all honesty, he wasn't paying attention. He was just grinning like an idiot to pass the time. He was sure all grooms felt the same way.

He half-turned sideways to check if there was a car approaching, but there wasn't. He caught a white-blonde haired girl's eye as he turned back to the front. It was Fleur's younger sister, Gabrielle. She was nineteen now, or so he remembered. That's what she had told him yesterday night. He shuddered and turned back to the front before anyone noticed his cheeks burning. He had promised Hermione he wouldn't sleep with a stripper at his Stag Do, and he had kept his promise. He had ended up sleeping with someone nearly ten years younger than him instead. He had shagged her up against a club wall, and the worst thing was, he _enjoyed_ it. He cursed himself under his breath for being so stupid. He loved Hermione. He didn't want to start off their marriage with any lies. Starting it off in such a way could never be good. He would have to tell her before the ceremony started… _somehow_.

* * *

><p>In fifteen minutes exactly, Hermione Granger would be wed to Oliver Wood. She would be standing on the pier of Felixstowe and saying her vows to Oliver in front of her family and her friends. Right now she was supposed to be rehearsing her lines and practising her smile for the photographers as she was transported in a Rolls Royce to the venue, but she wasn't.<p>

She was somewhere entirely different and nobody knew.

Hermione was sitting on the rails of the white ship they had been on the night before, the exact ship Moody and Snape stripped on. It seemed like days ago now.

She gazed out at the Thames looking like a lost angel fallen from the sky. She was in her wedding dress and it was ruffling around her ankles as it blew in the wind. It was lacy and long-sleeved with a train and made of the finest silk. It fitted Hermione like it was made for her, Ginny had said. Hermione smiled in reminiscence and diverted her attention to her lap. There was an open envelope there and a letter in her hands. The tears trickling down her cheeks were dripping onto the parchment and smudging some of the ink, but it was still perfectly readable.

_Mione,_

_I'm sorry._ _I'm sorry for every word that I said that hurt you. I'm sorry for all the times that I could have kissed you and held you and I didn't. I'm sorry for the hundreds of opportunities where I could have told you how beautiful you are to me, how happy you make me and I let it pass. I hope one day you can forgive me. _

_I have transferred all the money under my name into your vault at Gringotts. It's the only decent thing I have ever done. I have no hesitation when I say that you will make more use out of the fortune than anyone else. Do all the things you've always wanted to do but never had the chance. Save the world for the second time. I know what you're thinking and in response to that, no you are not going to refuse this offer. I have had the Goblins swear to me by oath that they will not allow you to transfer the money back to me or anyone else. It's yours and our son's and I wouldn't have it any other way. The Black Family money is finally going to someone who deserves it. I'm so proud you're a muggle-born, baby. _

_I hope you enjoyed the ship at your Hen Party too. If you haven't had your hen party yet, I guess I ruined the surprise! When Ginny called me and told me about her plans, I offered the Black family ship 'Tourjours Pur' straight away. I told Ginny that someone would have recognised my family's motto on the ship. Do you remember that night at Felixstowe beach where we talked about Titanic? Well, now you have a ship of your own. You have full ownership. It's all yours, Mione. _

The writing became blurry through her tears. She was sitting on his boat! Wait a second – _her_ boat. She choked back a sob and read on.

_I paid for everything. All I can say is, I hope we finally conquered your fear of heights together. _

Hermione laughed. Yes, they had. He was there with her on that pod on the London Eye, if only in spirit. She knew he was.

_You are doing the right thing in marrying him, however much you are breaking my heart. Do it and have no regrets. _

_This message is a poem I found in a poetry book in the Black Library. You may have read it. Who am I kidding? Of course you have. _

_I love you so deeply, I love you so much_

_I love the sound of your voice, and the way that we touch_

_I love your warm smile, and your kind, thoughtful way_

_The joy that you bring to my life every day._

_I love you today, as I have from the start_

_And I'll love you forever, with all of my heart._

_Whenever the day comes when you read this letter, whether it's ten days or ten years or even more or less, those words will always be true. They are my unsaid things._

_Do me one last favour and be happy._

_Sirius x_

Hermione clutched the letter to her breast and cried harder than ever. She felt like she was flooding out the river Thames from her eyes. There was so much to take-in, so much Sirius hadn't told her. He had paid for everything on her Hen Night. _Everything! _She wondered how on earth Ginny had managed it… And he had given her every last penny he had from his Gringotts vault!

She couldn't believe it.

And the poem. How did he know it was one of her favourites? The number of times she had sat up in bed and read that poetry book at Grimmauld Place...

She glanced up at Big Ben.

The wedding was in five minutes.

"Oh God," Hermione muttered to herself, "I-I don't think I can do this."

She was torn between two men. She had to choose. She had known from the beginning that she had to choose. Oliver or – or Sirius? Suddenly, she smiled. She had made her decision.

* * *

><p>The Rolls Royce pulled up at Felixstowe Pier and the engine cut.<p>

Molly nodded to the pianist in the corner and a soft piano ballad started playing as Hermione was helped out of the car by her father who was smiling proudly. No one could disagree. Hermione always looked stunning, but today there was something extra special about her. Something that made your breath hitch in your lungs when she spared a glance at you. Ginny held the train of her silk lace dress with one hand and guided little Albert the page boy along with the other. Fred and George poked him as he passed and he giggled quietly, his dimples showing on his cheeks.

There were gasps all around as Hermione glided past everyone. She really was out of this world. Ron, Charlie and the Twins were sharing looks as if to say '_damn! Why didn't we get there sooner?_'

Oliver was grinning at her and holding out his hand – which she accepted, and pulled him close to her. When the piano finally faded into the air, the only sounds that could be heard was the crashing of the waves against the shore.

Oliver leant in her ear.

"You look absolutely amazing Hermione."

She turned to look at him, unsmiling.

"Thank you."

Oliver swallowed and closed his eyes, "I need to tell you something before I make you my wife."

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, but discreetly nodded.

"That's funny because – I have something to tell you too. You first."

Oliver felt as though he'd been thrown in the deep end.

He tried not to focus on the hundred or so eyes fixed on their backs, but it was near impossible.

"Well – I – I…" he exhaled heavily, "this isn't easy for me to say. I know I'll regret it for the rest of my life if you get angry. But I – last night, I was very, very drunk and I – well…"

"Spit it out will you?" Hermione pressed him, "Forget the apologetic speech."

He glanced at her awkwardly.

"I-I think I slept with another woman. Well not I think – I know I did. But before you react, I just want you to know that I'm telling you because I want us to be honest with each other. The woman was Gabrielle Delacour. But I love y-"

"Well, as we're being honest," Hermione cut him off, "I kissed another man last night."

Oliver stiffened. This really wasn't a great start to their day.

"Who?"

Hermione smirked to herself.

"Just a random man at a club and - er… Sirius Black."

Oliver felt like his stomach had dropped out of his arse.

"Ex - excuse me?" he goggled at her, "say that again?"

"I think judging by your reaction Oliver, that you definitely heard me," Hermione replied coolly.

_That shut him up_.

* * *

><p>Sirius Black was lying in bed, his quilt covers tangled around him in his restlessness. His curtains were shut, making his room was dark and black, yet he still couldn't sleep. It was no surprise to him. The queen of his heart would be marrying another man any minute, and there was nothing he could do to stop her. He had done everything. He had confessed his undying love for her, to her face, on the phone, in a letter, and still she was going through with it. Yes, he had told her to marry him, but even so. His chest was aching. His heart was throbbing. And he had a feeling it would never go away.<p>

He felt for the phone on his bedside cabinet. Maybe, just maybe she would have left him some kind of message. He just wanted to hear her voice. Just once more. They had said goodbye yesterday, but that wasn't good enough. He wasn't ready to give her up just yet. He needed her. She was the mother of his child. You couldn't throw that away.

He grabbed the receiver and shuffled onto one elbow.

"You have one unread voicemail message. Received on 14th August at 10:57pm…"

Sirius stilled. _Please let it be from her. I just want to hear her…_

"Hi Sirius… it's H-Hermione. I hope you're okay. I'm a bit drunk, I'm calling because – because-"

Sirius heart broke all over again as he heard a exhale down the phone. She was crying.

"…because I miss you. So – so much."

He shut his eyes as he listened to her. To him, her voice was soft and heavenly. He could listen to it all day. _And she had said she missed him_. The beating of his heart quickened. Did she still miss him? He half rose up in his bed.

"I'm sorry I-I have to go…"

It was quieter than a whisper and then she was gone. Her sweet voice was replaced by a beep.

Sirius replayed the message another two more times before deciding it was in fact _him_ who needed to go.

_He needed to go and get **her!**_

He wasn't going to let her go this time. She was _his._ She belonged with _him_. He had always known it, and now she was going to realise it too. He had to be quick. He may not make it to her in time. Oliver was not marrying his witch. Not his Hermione. What had Sirius got that Oliver hadn't? Loads of things. A bigger wand for starters…

Sirius sprang from the bed with a newfound energy and ran to his wardrobe. He pulled a pair of black slacks on and lunged for a shirt and waistcoat and shoved them on too before rushing out from the room and into the hall. He prayed to Merlin that she hadn't already said her vows. He couldn't miss it.

Sirius was a born rule-breaker. He was a Marauder for God's sake. A rebel. He'd been in Azkaban prison for twelve years! He was going to crash this wedding the way he knew how.

He needed his motorbike.

He sprinted out the front door and didn't even wait till the door closed. He hurried to his bike, fumbling with his wand to start the engine.

"Come on, for fucks sake, _come on!_ I need to get to Hermione!"

"Padfoot? What are you doing?"

Sirius spun around.

"Remus! I-I – what are _you_ doing? You're meant to be at the wedding!"

Remus shook his head.

"You didn't think I'd go did you? I love Hermione, but she is making a mistake."

Sirius raised his arms hysterically, "_I KNOW!_" he exclaimed, "It's _me_ she's meant to be with!"

He grabbed his friend's shoulders and leaned in close to him. He was running out of time. He _had_ to get to Felixstowe Beach before Hermione made the biggest mistake of her life.

"I _need_ to find her Moon! I need to find her and tell her that I love her and I can't live without her!"

Remus considered his friend for a moment before nodding.

"I'll come with you. I said I'd meet Tonks anyway."

Sirius pointed his wand at the bike and immediately the engine roared to life. He leapt on, Remus behind him, and the two sped off without a second's hesitation.

Sirius was going to win Hermione back!

* * *

><p>He didn't know how long he had been flying for when they arrived at the beach. He had driven as quick as he could, but judging by the empty pier, it hadn't been quick enough. His heart thumped against his chest as the bike skidded to a halt and he swung his leg off. Remus did the same.<p>

Where was everyone? The pier was empty. There was no sign that there had ever even been a wedding. Panicking, he shouted to Remus to stay by the bike and sprinted up the pier, the wind whipping against his hair at the immense speed. His lungs screamed as he reached the end. Panting, he looked around. It was completely and utterly deserted.

He was too late.

Was Hermione now a married woman? No. She couldn't be. He refused to believe it. He refused to give up. In desperation, he scanned the beach for the nearest person and charged over to them.

Sirius grabbed the shoulders of a woman and turned her around.

"Excuse me? Hello? I'm sorry but you have to help me-"

Sirius voice trailed off as he looked the woman up and down.

"_Tonks?_ TONKS!"

"Sirius? What are you doing here?"

"Oh god Tonks, you have to help me… where is she? Where's Hermione? Why has everyone gone?"

He could only imagine how desperate he sounded, but he didn't care.

"They went off to the reception. I'm here waiting for Remus. But I don't know where Hermione went. I'm sorry Siri."

Sirius's heart sank but then rose slightly.

"Wait – wait a minute, what do you mean? Why isn't Hermione at the wedding reception?"

Tonks's mouth quirked into a smile.

"Because she didn't marry him you doughnut! Everyone is celebrating!"

Sirius's jaw dropped.

"Oh sweet mother of merlin!" he howled ecstatically at the top of his lungs, "Finally my prayers have been answered!"

He pulled her into a rough hug.

"Where is she?" he urged, "I need to see her!"

Tonks patted her cousin's shoulder in understanding.

"Why don't you try your house? She may have gone there to tell you the same thing."

Sirius had hurtled towards his motorbike before she could even finish her sentence.

* * *

><p>He arrived at his house in record time. He didn't see the anything - wasn't looking at anything... but <em>her<em>.

She was standing on the concrete steps of his countryside cottage in her white wedding dress. Looking… Sirius's heart fluttered. You guessed it.

_Beautiful. _

He couldn't see all of her face, but she fully turned towards him at the sound of his bike engine. And it was like all breathing stopped. Tears filled his eyes once more, and his heart ached for her now that she was so close to him. He jumped off the bike and started towards her, quite positive he was going mad and he was dreaming this all and she wasn't here at all. But she moved too - she met him half way and then they both suddenly stopped.

"You came back for me?" he said hoarsely.

His grey wet eyes searched hers for an answer.

She nodded and looked up at him with teary eyes of her own, "I couldn't go through with it. Did you come back for me?"

He nodded.

They looked at each other for one last long second before colliding and locking one another in the tightest embrace. He picked her up and twirled her around; both smiling so joyfully. He only set her back on her feet again to kiss her, but she pressed to fingers to his lips and stopped him.

"I read your letter. In one part, you said the only decent thing you'd ever done is transfer all your money to my Gringotts vault. That's not true."

She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat and carried on.

"We loved having sex together so much that we made a baby. The most beautiful little boy to ever walk the earth. Without you, he wouldn't be who he is, Sirius. Our little boy Albert wouldn't be Albert. He wouldn't have his crazy hair or grey eyes or cheeky smile or rebelliousness. He wouldn't have his dimples, or his… or his tendency to swear."

They both laughed.

"I've never thanked you for that," she uttered.

"Thank me then," he grinned.

She blushed.

"I just did!"

He chuckled.

"You didn't. You can thank me by kissing me."

He intertwined their fingers with one hand and cupped her chin in the other, guiding her to meet his lips.

Hermione teasingly leant in and kissed his stubbly cheek instead, giggling when Sirius whimpered like a put-out child.

"You called off your wedding to come to my house and kiss me on the _cheek?_"

Hermione hid her smile behind her hand.

"No," she whispered, "I didn't love Oliver."

Sirius attempted to hide his smile too.

"Who do you love?"

He tilted her chin to him so she couldn't look away.

"Answer truthfully."

"You _know_."

"I want to you to say it."

They stared into each other's eyes. Lost. They were in their own little world. _Those eyes of his_. She thought. _So captivating_.

"You," Hermione muttered.

He leant his forehead against hers and exhaled deeply.

"Say it again, baby."

She bit her lip, her eyes flicking to his lips and back to his eyes again.

"I love you."

She had known it from the start. Promising herself never to love him was impossible. It was like breathing for her.

"Oh Merlin," Sirius breathed.

It was all he had been waiting to hear. Everything he needed was in those three words.

He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers, possessively and lovingly and every other emotion all at once. His tongue claimed hers, marked his name upon it as they danced together. She was his. No one else's. Their tongues lashed. Swirled. Saliva and all that salty sweet taste which they savoured. _They were to be kissed by no other._

"You know I love you," he panted slightly as they broke apart.

"I know." She rolled her eyes and couldn't help but laugh. "You've told me enough bloody times!"

He chuckled and caressed her cheek. "Well, I had to, you were playing so hard to get! The amount of times you ran away from me when I told you how I felt. It was driving me insane..."

"It was quite dramatic wasn't it?" She grinned and kissed him quickly. He came back for more, but she paused him. "Speaking of dramatic, that poem in your letter. It made me cry so much."

He shrugged easily. "What can I say? I have been known to have a way with words. Especially love poetry."

"You found it from a book Sirius! Stop acting like it was you who wrote it!"

His mouth twitched into a smile and he kissed her again.

"But you cried? At long last, I've been crying over you all morning. You'll be the death of me, love. I think we both know that."

She giggled, "you know, for a man who claims to be very brave, I've seen you cry at least ten times-"

"_Oi!_" he yelled, tickling her ribs. She spasmed in his arms and they both laughed. When they had both calmed down again, he cuddled her tighter against him and she settled in the crook of his neck.

"I can't live without you Mione," he murmured against her hair.

"Nor me without you."

"Promise you'll never leave me again," he croaked.

She shook her head. "Never, Sirius. I promise," she bit her lip playfully. "Now you have to promise me something."

"I know what you're going to say."

He smiled and dug into his pocket, pulling out a packet of cigarettes and threw them carelessly over his shoulder.

"I'll quit smoking," he sighed, pretending to look hard done by.

"That's not what I was going to say," she grinned. He raised his eyebrows and she carried on. "I was actually going to say that I want you to _keep_ smoking. It adds to your bad boy appeal..." she blushed at her shocking confession and dropped her eyes to his collar. "I secretly find it very sexy. _BUT_-"

He laughed as the old Hermione came back. "But if you die from it Sirius Black, I swear I will never forgive you."

She poked his chest with finger of warning and he shook his head. "I thought we both agreed that _you_ would be the death of me darling."

She bit her lip as she tried to remember, and then smiled. "Oh yeah."

They caught each other's lips again, kissing slowly and gently with nibbles of teeth on lips and ghosting swipes of tongues. They broke apart as a roar was heard from inside the house.

A tiny figure raced down the stone steps.

Sirius felt his heart soar and he stared questioningly at Hermione.

"You forgot to shut the door when you rushed out of the house to be my knight in shining armou- I mean. My knight in a black waistcoat," she explained amusedly, "so I told the little rascal to wait inside quietly..."

"DADDY!"

"I guess he didn't get that part," Hermione giggled.

His son had slammed into his leg, and was now cuddling it.

Sirius barked with laughter.

"Come here you tiger!" he chortled, bending low and scooping his son up easily. He kissed his forehead and held him with one arm, "nice waistcoat Al."

The boy beamed and caught his mum's eye. Hermione grinned back.

Albert began clapping his hands excitedly.

"I saw you two going _kissy kissy kissy _from the window!" the boy giggled, thoroughly pleased with himself as he imitated his mummy and daddy kissing.

"Your daddy and I have decided to be together, Albert," Hermione said softly, stroking his hair, "we'll be a proper family."

Albert stared at his mum and then at his dad as if they just announced it was going to Christmas every day.

"Finally your mummy realised that Oliver is really-"

"Smelly?" Albert replied innocently, clutching a small fist of his dad's hair, "_I told you!_"

Sirius doubled over with laughter. Hermione looked amused, but was trying not to show it.

"I was actually going to say you've finally realised little Oliver is really shit in bed…" Sirius teased her, kissing and sucking her neck.

Hermione swatted him playfully, "Sirius! _Stop swearing in front of Albert!_" she mouthed.

"Was he terrible though?" he pressed her.

When she didn't reply, he took her hand in his and tugged them all up the steps and into the house.

"I'll show you how it's done tonight," he winked at her.

Hermione almost drooled. She was beginning to feel all hot and bothered already.

"Oh I love you," she breathed, scooting closer to him.

He sighed indulgently.

"I love you so much."

Sirius set Albert down on the floor so he could cuddle his witch properly.

They heard their three year old race into the kitchen and dive under the table – most probably crawling around the chair legs pretending to be a soldier like he usually did.

Sirius took the opportunity to deepen their kiss, his tongue penetrating her mouth as he backed her against the wall. His hands slid down her sides and hiked up her wedding dress in one swift movement.

She let out a hot breathy gasp in his ear and nibbled it seductively.

"I think I'm wearing my new red laced lingerie," she whispered, "with suspenders."

He pulled back to look at her in amazement, his eyes smitten and dangerous. She smiled devilishly when she felt him instantly harden against her. One of her roaming hands slid down his chest to caress his rock-hard erection through his slacks and he groaned inwardly at the contact and guided her hand to his zip, pressing more intimately against her.

"Daddy! Mummy!" Albert piped up from the kitchen, "I want a bourbon biscuit!"

After another minute of kissing and touching, they reluctantly broke apart and shared wide smiles. They took a moment to collect themselves before Sirius interlaced their fingers and led her into the kitchen, murmuring '_We'll carry this on later baby_' in her ear and making her shiver.

The way Sirius and Hermione's sex life went, she would be pregnant within two months. It wouldn't be a bad thing. Sirius was gazing at her from heavy lidded eyes with that shit eating grin spread across his lips, as if he was thinking exactly the same. They shared a chaste kiss before she lifted Albert up and rested him on her hip. She reached for the biscuits in the cupboard, fully aware that Sirius was watching her every move.

He could never look at another woman like he did Hermione whilst he was living and breathing. He was infatuated with her, his love for her was injected inside him and it ran in his veins like blood. He watched her bustle around the kitchen, her cheeks flushing under his intense gaze whilst their son took mini bites out of his biscuit. Sirius knew in that moment that they were going to be happy family. He had everything he could have possibly wanted. _Hermione and Albert_.

His future life flashed before his eyes and he saw himself and Hermione as if on fast forward, living in their English cottage in the countryside. He would wake up to her angelic face in the morning and fall asleep to it at night, holding her close to him. Her head on his chest and his arm draped around her waist. They would discover new things that they loved about each other all the time, even years down the line, even as they grew old together. New spots of sensitive skin to lick and suck that had her writhing under him, new ways to seduce him so he would make the dinner, new ways to get his blood boiling and then hastily carry her upstairs for passionate make-up sex… There would be more children, all with the same wild black-brown hair, grey or chocolate brown eyes, cute dimples and mischievous smiles. Some who read books and others who dreamt of motorbikes. Christmas's filled with their kids ripping open presents in the '_Tourjours Pur_' ship's captain's cabin as daddy steered the ship and mummy picked them up so they could look out the window at the view of the Thames.

Sirius's luck had changed. His prayers had finally been answered.

He had the family he had always dreamed, with the witch he always dreamt of.

There were no more unsaid things. Everything was as it had meant to be.

* * *

><p><strong>-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-•* *•-:¦:-•:*'''''*:•-:¦:-<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Thank you so much to everyone who stuck with this story to the very end. It may sound silly on a computer screen but this has been a wonderful experience in my life and I will miss writing chapters for this fic, so thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read or write a review! I'm truly grateful. <em>

_Special thanks to Sampdoria and Paulaa90 for your always lovely feedback!_

_**Sophie/Hollister9**_

_P.S I am thinking about writing a time-travel or marriage law fic with Hermione and Sirius. Hmmm. Suggestions?_


	13. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

><p>"'Mione…" a voice whispered in her ear. "Mione love…"<p>

The rough tone of his morning voice that she loved so much was slowly waking her up, but she wouldn't show it. She had got to sleep so late wrapping presents last night that now she was comfortable, she didn't want to move. His firm body was radiating heat and it made her tingle with warmth.

"I'm asleep," she murmured, and snuggled further into the crook of his neck, her eyes remaining stubbornly shut.

She felt his body shake with a chuckle. "You won't be in a minute."

His lips swooped down to suck the sensitive skin of her neck, licking, nipping and kissing down and across her collarbone, between the valley of her breasts and brushing teasingly against her nipples before taking them in his mouth. Hermione had been expecting this. After three years of marriage, Sirius still couldn't get enough of their steamy morning sex sessions – touching her body was the only thing that woke him up. She was his coffee.

"What's the time?" she mumbled, peeking one eye open to get her bearings. It was still dark, and the misty rising sun shone through the curtains, making shadows on their bedroom walls. He had never started _this_ early.

"Four o'clock," he muttered back, clearly much more interested with her breasts than the time.

"_In the morning?_" She let out a breathy gasp, whether it was because of the early hour or her husband's ravishing, she wasn't sure. A bit of both probably.

Before she could ask the question, he had answered it. "It's Christmas Day love, the kid's will be up soon. You know they wake up earlier every year."

_That's true_. Hermione mused. They thought their first Christmas was bad, with Albert running and roaring into their room at six o'clock. How wrong they were. The year after that, it had gone to five thirty. Last year hit an all-time record at five o'clock. So this year… well it was safe to say that starting their session at four o'clock was wise.

"Oh God," Sirius groaned from under the covers, "I love your body so much. Your stomach – your thighs – your arse – your _tits!_" he kissed each part as he said it, and then finally kissed her lips. She beamed as he settled himself above her, purposely pressing his throbbing erection against her folds; her body had always driven him mad, but being pregnant again had brought about changes to her that released the animal inside him. Her figure had always been slim but now she had love handles, womanly hips and was curvy in all the right places. Not to mention Sirius's personal favourite: her breasts. They had gone up a cup size and now she had the perfect cleavage without the wonder bras.

"Mind the bump," she warned him, pointing a playful finger at his chest.

He grinned cheekily and leant down to kiss her again. "You know I will."

And then he was inside her, stretching and filling her up and making her feel something only Sirius could make her feel. _Beautiful… wanted…loved…_ They both exhaled loudly, always knocked off-guard by how right and perfect their coupling felt. He gripped her hips and began thrusting into her, slowly at first then increasing in speed, throwing his head back and groaning every time he pulled out and lunged back in. Making love to her was always the tip of heaven, she was so completely made for him – and so _tight_, even after giving birth.

"Kiss me," she demanded fiercely, and pulled him down to her, taking no humour from his laughing. He leant on his elbows so he wouldn't crush her and smiled into their kiss, their tongues clinging to each other like two magnets as they locked lips furiously. He could feel her muffled moans vibrating through his mouth, and it made him rock his hips faster.

"Yes Sirius, harder!" she whispered desperately, wrapping her legs tighter around his waist. Sweat was glistening their bodies, and the only sounds that could be heard was their ragged breaths and slapping of skin-on-skin. They were close. He was pounding so hard and deep into her now that she was gasping for breath, begging him for her release.

"Oh bloody hell – _fuck_-" he panted against her lips, "What are you doing to me witch?" his grey eyes were oozing hunger and lust as he stared into her own, and his jaw clenched in restraint.

Hermione made it with a moan. Whether it was the way she bit her lip, groaned into his ear or screamed his name into the hand over her mouth, he didn't know, but that was it. He lost control and came hard, biting back his bellow in her shoulder as his cock jerked inside her, filling her up with that wet mushy hotness. He saw stars, and thrust into her until the very last drop and then collapsed on top of her. Careful not to crush her, he rolled to her side and pulled her towards him, absolutely spent.

Five minutes later, their heavy pants had subsided, but their muscles were aching. Sirius was spooning her close, his nose smelling the sweet scent of her hair whilst his arms were wrapped protectively round her waist.

"The baby told me to tell you that they didn't appreciate being woken from their blissful sleep," she whispered.

He chuckled quietly and nuzzled her neck; this wasn't the first time Hermione had passed on messages to him regarding their little one. "Tell he or she I say sorry," he murmured, his hand stroking her belly bump.

"Daddy says sorry," she informed the bump, smiling when he laughed.

"I'll sing it back to sleep shall I?" he suggested, already thinking of one of his favourite songs to sing. Hermione nodded and made a sound of approval - she loved his singing voice. He was a Beatles boy through and through, so he chose one that was appropriate for the occasion.

"So this is Christmas…" he sang, and Hermione squealed with excitement.

"I LOVE THIS ONE-!" she exclaimed, and quietened down when Sirius grinned and shushed her.

"…And what have you done? Another year over, a new one just begun… and so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun… The near and the dear ones, the old and the young…" he interlaced their fingers and kissed her cheek. "A very merry Christmas and a happy new year… let's hope it's a good one, without any fear… And so this is Christmas, for weak and for strong, for the rich and the poor ones, our baby's nearly born-!"

Hermione burst out laughing and quickly swivelled round to face him.

"Our baby's nearly born? Sirius…" she heaved, only just managing to speak through her laughing. He stroked a strand of hair from her face and started laughing _at_ her. "Sirius, I love you," she said, and put a finger to his lips before he could reply. She smiled at his cocked eyebrow and explained. "Don't say I love you too, it's too cliché."

"But I do-"

"Don't say it!" she stage-whispered, "Say something else!" His scandalised expression made her laugh again, and it took her a while to calm down. "Say something instead of I love you!" she urged him.

Sirius didn't know what to say, so he settled on the words that were currently swimming through his mind. "You're weird."

The pregnancy must have been playing on her mood swings, because she started laughing again. And this time, she couldn't stop. "Okay…" she panted, "that wasn't quite what I was hoping for."

There was a series of loud, happy shouting and screaming from the other rooms in the cottage, and Sirius and Hermione shared wide smiles. Any minute now… the rapid stomps grew closer and closer until their bedroom door banged open.

"IT'S CHHRRISSSSSTMAASSSSSSSS!"

Hermione dropped her head back on her pillow, still laughing. It didn't take a genius to work out who that monster of a voice belonged to. Albert, now six, sprinted into his parent's bedroom clad in broomstick covered pyjamas and dived on the bed. He still had the same black-brown curly mop of hair (the curls matched Hermione's and the shade matched Sirius's), grey eyes and that cheeky smile which Hermione knew would be well used to charm the girls when he got to Hogwarts. After they sat him down and told him about the houses, he declared that _he_ didn't need the Sorting Hat to know he was a Gryffindor.

Next through the door was just turned three… Regulus. Like Albert, he too looked like a virtual carbon copy of Sirius, but instead of grey eyes, Reggie had Hermione's eyes - a deep chocolate brown. His black-brown hair was usually smooth and floppy, and strands tended to fall elegantly into his eyes (no doubt he would start pushing it coolly back when he was older like his dad), but when he was fresh from his bed, like now, it became messy and sleep-tousled, which of course only made him cuter.

Unlike his big brother, Reggie was quite shy when meeting new people and much preferred to hide behind his parent's legs than introduce himself, but once he knew you, he didn't mind asking crude questions. Sirius beamed with pride whenever he was reminded of the day his youngest son asked Uncle Remus how big his willy was. Everyone had laughed so much, and the memory still brought tears to his eyes. Apart from his habit of interrogating people, it was clear that personality wise he was most like Hermione: he was opinionated, stubborn and had been called a 'smarty-pants' by his brother because he had already started to show signs of wizardry at the young age of three. Little Reggie wasn't tall enough to climb onto the big bed by himself, so Albert jumped back down and helped him up.

"Sirius!" Hermione mouthed, nudging him in the ribs as she watched the boys wriggle towards them. "We – are – _naked!_"

Sirius chortled at her and shifted about under the covers for a minute before revealing his empty hands. "I'm not anymore darling, but I'll distract them so you can put your nighty on," he winked, "It'll be a shame to see that body of yours covered up."

He swooped down on her for a chaste kiss, which she accepted with a dramatic roll of her eyes and then playfully kicked him out of the bed. He stood in only his boxers, yawning and stretching his limbs out wide like a bear. Hermione couldn't help her eyes wander down his body and feel her heart flutter. _Damn._ Her husband was irresistible.

"Ay! What are you two doing?" His son's both stopped play fighting on the bottom of the bed to look up at him with faces of pure innocence.

"Nothing!" Albert shouted, patting Reg on the head to show their fight was fake. "We came to ask if we can open our stockings! Father Christmas has left us LOADS of presents! Can open them daddy, can we?" he stood up and started bouncing on the bed. "PLEASE?"

"Of course you can, I thought you had opened them already! Why don't we go and get them from your bedrooms now?"

Albert had already raced off before Regulus had got off the bed.

"Daddy," Reg murmured uncertainly, "Pick – pick me up?" He was peering over the edge of the bed and biting on his finger as if working out how to get down.

Sirius smiled slightly and picked him up easily, aware that he was scared of heights - another way he was like Hermione. "You can change now love," he called to her as he kissed Reg on the forehead and headed out the room.

"Okay, but Sirius can you check on Laila please? The baby monitor just went off!"

"Ah, let's go and see your little sister Laila shall we?" he said, bobbing Regulus up and down. The toddler merely smiled and leant against his dad's shoulder as he was carried along the hallway.

Laila's nursery was the closest to their bedroom. The walls were a yellow custard colour, and like the boy's rooms, there were many family pictures hung up, some moving photographs and others frozen. Whenever Ron had been babysitting, he'd rather annoyingly point out that Laila was only eight months old and so wouldn't be able to even _see_ them. Whenever he said that, Hermione simply told him to shut up.

Peering over the cot, Sirius smiled widely as he saw baby Laila. It wasn't just fatherly favouritism talking – she really was the most beautiful baby girl he had ever laid eyes on. When they were shopping in Diagon Alley, people often stopped to coo over her in her pram. She had a tuft of soft chestnut hair, big, bright grey eyes, lovely chubby cheeks from giggling too much and had the habit to curl her little hand around people's fingers - and not let go.

"Merry Christmas little Laila," he whispered to her, gently tickling her neck, "are you going to give daddy a special Christmas kiss?"

Laila stared up at him, her eyes examining his face before pealing over with giggles. Sirius laughed and hoisted Reg up higher before leaning down and picking her up too. Laila's head rested upon his cheek, and he grinned at her version of 'a kiss' – a bump of her head.

"Happy kiss-mas Laila," Reg said happily, then scrunched his nose. "Laila – you _smell!_"

"She knows she does, you need your nappy changing don't you sweetie?" Sirius said in a funny voice, walking back to their bedroom. "Albert! Have you got your stocking?" he called.

"YES!" he shouted back, then came sprinting down the hallway towards them, carrying two large stockings in his arms that were nearly bigger than him. "I got Reggie's as well!" he panted breathlessly.

Regulus's eyes widened and he looked at his father. "Daddy, has father kiss-mass gone?"

"Yes, he only comes when you're asleep. He's very clever," Sirius replied, affectionately stroking his son's head when he looked sad, "you can meet him next year Reggie."

"I met him last year!" Albert announced, leading the group back into the bedroom. "Mummy you remember – I met him last year didn't I?"

Hermione was kneeling on the bed, having just changed into her white lacy negligee. She was examining herself in the mirror when her family came back, and upon seeing Sirius's hungry gaze on her, smirked and pulled on a cardigan of his over the top.

"Yes, you did meet him last year sweetheart," she confirmed, hopping off the bed and accepting Laila from Sirius. It was nappy-changing time.

Albert turned excitedly to Regulus. "Father Christmas started _kissing_ mummy!" he roared, as if it was shocking news. "He was like 'oh baby yeah'!"

"No he wasn't!" Sirius laughed, pulling him into a playful headlock. He shared an amused glance with Hermione. The Santa Claus that Albert thought he had met was in fact _him_ in a costume.

Two hours later, the Black family were still snuggled up in the master bedroom. The boys had opened all their stocking presents and were now laying on the floor sharing a box of Honeydukes chocolate and playing a mini kids version of exploding snap. On the bed, Laila had fallen asleep in Hermione's arms, and Sirius was sitting next to her, watching his wife.

Hermione eventually cracked. "What?" she huffed, "why are you looking at me like that? Am I still tempting you?" she gestured to the woollen cardigan. "I've covered myself up!"

"You always tempt me," he said warmly, in a voice that could melt butter. He rubbed his hand against the juncture of her thighs to prove his point and she quivered under his touch. Only his touch that emitted such a reaction from her. He slid his hand back to intertwine with hers to prevent getting any more excited than he was. With such a young family, sex twice a day was always a rare treat. "I was just thinking."

He watched her coo over Laila, how she would grin and laugh whenever their new born would curl her hand round her finger, opening her mouth and gurgling sounds of a happy baby. "Thinking?" she asked him absently. "What about…?"

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "About another way of saying I love you. You said saying it back was too cliché."

She looked up at him, remembering their previous conversation and smiling. "Well it is. _'I love you'_, _'oh thank you dearest I love you too'_…" she made a disgusted face. "It really is awful!"

He shook his head in amusement, "Only you would say that. Okay… what about… I can't go a day without you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Considering all the time we've spent apart over the years, I think you definitely could."

Sirius grinned at her and laughed his usual lovely bark-like laugh. "Oh – here's a good one… Hermione," he addressed her, "You're my sunshine in the height of a storm."

"No!" she giggled, "are you serious-?" he smirked delightfully and opened his mouth to reply, but she shook her head and poked him. "I know what you're going to say, _don't_ say it!"

He whimpered like a child and didn't drop the act until she kissed him.

Happy again, Sirius turned to his sons, who were still playing exploding snap. "Albert, Reggie, what's another way of saying I love you?"

"Whasat mean?" Regulus asked, looking from his parents to his brother with a cute frown on his face.

"When you fancy someone loads," Albert told him matter-of-factly. "Apparently, when you love someone you follow them everywhere."

Regulus's jaw dropped and he stared at his parents. "That's creepy!"

"Stop following me you stalker," Hermione said to her husband. "And stop impregnating me too."

They all laughed, even though their sons didn't know what it meant. Though she suspected that Albert had a vague idea.

"You can say, hello person that I love!" Albert suggested, grinning mischievously when his father stuck his thumb up at him.

"Hello person that I love," Sirius murmured to his wife, chuckling at her raised eyebrows.

"Aw, actually I really like that one," she sighed, a dreamy look crossing her face. She cupped her hand behind his neck and kissed him passionately, ignoring the retching sounds being made by their children. When she broke away she bit her lip seductively and said, "Hello to you too!"

One thing was certain. They were going to have a very merry Christmas and many happy new year's.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: And there we are! I wanted to wrap this story up properly, and I felt that the Christmas theme was appropriate now that it's so near! _****_It wasn't meant to be this long, but I love writing Sirius as a dad (I have a thing for yummy daddy's) and so I got a bit carried away. I'm not apologising! ;) _****_I have started writing my time-travel fic, 'Tears Dry On Their Own' so have a little read of that too!_**

**_Love Soph/Hollister9_**


End file.
